Daybreak Within Your Reach
by KisekiMa
Summary: The worst distance between people is called 'misunderstanding'. Let's imagine that Gordes Musik Yggdmillennia is a competent Master, who actually tries to understand his Servant. Still a hopeless choleric, but able to cooperate and win battles together… Is it enough to change the course of the Great Holy Grail War? Alternative version of "Fate/Apocrypha".
1. Seeking Harmony

**1: Seeking Harmony**

 _If he really loved the world, how could he be so blind to its beauty?_

* * *

The one thing was certain for Saber from the very beginning – his Master is a proud man.

It's a good and bad thing at the same time. Good because proud people respect rules and contracts. Bad because they are extremely hard to deal with.

Excessive pride leads to arrogance, which is the main cause of failure. Too many talented, even powerful people, have fallen because of their overconfidence. Knowing this, Siegfried really didn't want to be a part of such pathetic play. After all, the conflict of two proud women led to his own death…

He sighed, observing the surroundings from the roof of the _Fortress_ of _Millennia_. It was a fitting center of operations for their leader, Vlad III. Even the land itself supported its most famous hero. Feeling that they share many similarities, Siegfried could only respect such noble Lancer.

Saber, too, felt comfortable in this old castle. It was almost like nothing has changed through the ages: landscapes, buildings, people. A nice, calm breeze caressed his hair – another sensation he didn't suspect to miss so much. It would be a perfect morning if not one particular thing that bothered Siegfried.

Homunculi.

They were everywhere in the fortress. Always the same clothes, faces, even patterns of speech. Countless red-eyed men and women were constantly cleaning, patrolling, guarding the gates and, what seemed to be their main task, supplying the Servants of Black with magical energy. It looked like a slavery to Siegfried but who was he to judge the ways of magi?

What's more, wasn't he the same? First a living tool to grant wishes of those who asked him for it, now a magically reincarnated tool to grant a wish of his Master.

 _Master, huh?_

It's been said that his Master was somehow involved in the creation of homunculi and Saber did not know what to think about it. He felt… uneasy. What he actually knew about this man?

Gordes Musik Yggdmillennia, the alchemist, was very proud of his family name. He seemed to enjoy his status and tried hard to pretend he's not a hopeless choleric. Masters of Berserker and Archer called him 'uncle' and he had nothing against it. The boy – Caules was his name? – even advised Gordes to calm down by counting to ten, and it was far less hilarious than it seems.

Not much information, to be honest, but it's been only a few hours from the summoning. With all Masters gathered in the main room at some kind of a secret council, they had no occasion to speak privately yet.

But it was still enough time for this… eccentric… man to show some unspeakable rudeness in front of his allies. Giving your name to an opponent before a duel was once common practice even among enemies. Hiding his identity from allies seemed controversial for any knight.

Saber wondered what was the problem. His Master didn't trust his own family or Saber's ability to defend himself? He was so desperate to win? Or had no idea that famous Heroic Spirits gathered in the fortress would never tarnish their reputation by stabbing their opponent in the back?

 _Maybe I should just ask him?_ He shook his head, feeling that it's not a good idea. _No, it may look like defiance or arrogance, I should remain silent. Or maybe…_

Siegfried didn't mind being treated like a tool, he was also the last one to judge anyone or make assumptions. His Master must have his reasons, that was enough for a Servant to know. Saber's own life choices were mostly poor and used to end with tragedies, he knew he's far from being perfect. Actually he doubted he will make a worthy Servant in this Grail War.

Of course, he could pretend that nothing else matters as long as his wish is granted. But he will do his best anyway and it would be nice if his Master shows at least a bit of concern.

 _Well, he didn't use a Command Seal in this sudden outburst of anger, so there's still hope, I guess..._

"Here you are, Saber." Someone interrupted a chain of Siegfried's raging thoughts and the Dragon Knight was grateful for this intervention. It was Chiron, their Archer and most likely future acting commander. "We've been searching for you for a while."

"Forgive me, I was lost in thought." The Knight of the Sword shook his head, a little ashamed. Again. "First hiding my true name, now being late for the meeting... It doesn't look like a good start."

"We actually don't mind, if you want to know." Even if Chiron said it only to make Siegfried feel better, it helped a lot. "A Master's order is a Master's order, no one is to blame here."

Saber thanked him with a slight bow of his head and was about to leave, but noticed that Archer didn't follow him. Chiron was observing the sunrise instead.

"Beautiful. It seems almost within your reach, isn't it?"

Siegfried glanced at the golden orb, that was slowly rising from the horizon. The colors of the sky were truly fascinating: they looked like they were trying to fight each other but ended up mixed, and then absorbed by the power of the sun.

"I rarely had time to enjoy views," he said eventually, struck by his own emotional emptiness. How many daybreaks he missed, living – no, rather existing – from mission to mission?

If he really loved the world, how could he be so blind to its beauty?

"In my culture people believed that keeping balance is the most important thing in life," Chiron said, pretending to not notice Siegfried's problem. "Body and mind, work and play, violence and beauty… one must always seek harmony." He reached out his hand, like trying to grasp the rising sun. For some unknown reason, Saber's heart ached. "At war harmony between partners seems even more important, don't you think?"

Saber nodded, waiting for the moral. Chiron was known as 'teacher of heroes' for a reason, he wouldn't bother anyone with a meaningless chatter.

"But seeking harmony is a very hard work. It requires communication and honesty, no matter if you discuss things with your partner or with yourself. When misunderstanding grows, you must cut your ego to make things work again."

Siegfried nodded once more. When someone as experienced as Chiron gives you advice, you must be an idiot to ignore it.

And he told nothing but truth. Gordes must have irritated them all, no doubt they felt concerned and wanted to be sure that Saber can be trusted. As long as the Black Faction officially cooperates, every little conflict affects the whole team. It must be solved before the damage becomes irreversible, Siegfried totally agreed with Chiron on this matter.

But whose ego must be cut in their case was… debatable.

* * *

Gordes Musik Yggdmillennia didn't like people who make him feel small.

He didn't like the Einzberns and their overconfidence (like no one else could create artificial humans, what a nonsense!). He didn't even like Darnic, for acting so high-and-mighty, and his Servant for thinking that he actually rules here. Lancer wasn't a king anymore, but a Servant, a mere familiar, damn it!

What's even worse, although Gordes would never admit it, he had no idea what to do. All he knew about war came from legends and books. He was aware of the fact that people die in Grail Wars, but did not take such possibility seriously.

Yet he felt anxious and conflicted.

One half of him wanted to play fair, fight openly in honorable duels, Servant on Servant and Master on Master. Winning like this would be the ultimate proof of domination, right? No one will doubt his talent and power ever again.

The other half was determined to win at all costs, preferably without entering the battlefield even once, and come home to his family as soon as possible.

Trying to act like a noble magus he claimed to be, Gordes needed a plan to sort out this problem. With so many unknowns only one thing was certain in the Holy Grail War – to win he needed the strongest Servant.

The choice was obvious, because one legend in particular fascinated him since childhood and a relic was within his reach. He was talented, strong and determined, nothing could go wrong, right?

Right?

Then why he's so nervous? Why he always needs proofs and demands others to acknowledge him?

Gordes sighed. The time for hesitation was long gone, the war has already started, and the burning pain of Command Seals carved on his right hand brought the alchemist back to reality.

This red sigil was like a proof of his success, a sign of power.

And there, on the other end of the magical leash, was his Servant: the strongest class, the invincible hero, the confirmation of magical potential of his Master. As great and tall as his own legend, but somehow aloof, Saber seemed more like a dragon than a killer of dragons...

It made Gordes feel small again, and he hated it.

Well, no one said it will be easy. Siegfried was a hero who just went out one day and killed a dragon like it was nothing. A bravery dangerously similar to stupidity. Or rather pure madness. Who knows what he's capable of…

 _He must be still angry, thinking of an act of treason that led to his death_ , the magus thought, analyzing the behavior of the knight at his service. He suspected that Siegfried would rather materialize in a Berserker class. Pride and lust for vengeance were painted on this familiar's face. As a Master, Gordes must crush such unnecessary emotions or he will end up dominated by this… powerful being.

Honestly, he would never expect that having a Servant is so troublesome. Deep inside he knew that his real problems are yet about to start.

* * *

Someone bumped into Siegfried on the corridor when he was about to enter the meeting room.

"Ouch!" Astolfo stepped back, rubbing his nose. Considering the speed of the little paladin and the hardness of Siegfried's armor, it must have been a very unpleasant experience. "Who placed a stone golem in the corridor? Ah, it's you!"

Rider looked up and almost jumped back, like a frightened squirrel.

"Hey, that's scary, sca-ry!" – he shouted in his usual manner. For Siegfried he was like a playful kitten. Something inside the Dragon Knight always smiled when they crossed paths. "Why are you doing this?"

Saber blinked, not sure what's going on.

"I'm sorry… but for doing what exactly?"

"For looking at me like you're planning a murder!"

That was unexpected. Saber regretted that there's no mirror nearby.

 _I really look so awful?_

"I have no intention to harm you, Rider," he replied simply, not sure how to react.

"But how do I know this if you don't say a thing, huh?" Astolfo came closer and poked Siegfried's chest. "No one will ever know what you think if you don't say it! And that's kind of rude to ignore us like we're not even worth to be spoken to..."

Saber felt shaken by Rider's observations. He always thought that it's polite to not bother others with too many words, so when he spoke, it was as concise as possible. He would never expect that someone may think of it as of haughtiness or arrogance.

Well, Servants gathered here came from different cultures, places and times, their opinion on what's rude or not may differ. Maybe it's the same with Masters? Maybe he should adjust his behavior to avoid problems? If it's even possible for someone as quiet and reserved as him…

How many of his failures, which he interpreted as ill luck or fate, were caused by such behavior?

Astolfo must have continued his speech in the meantime, because he poked Siegfried again, demanding attention.

"That's why it would be better for all of us if you relax a little!"

"I'm… not sure if I can, honestly."

"Don't worry, I'll teach you!" Astolfo gave him a wide, innocent smile and something told Siegfried that he's just got into serious troubles.

A mysterious smile on Chiron's face confirmed Saber's suspicions, that the centaur knew much more that anyone could imagine. Maybe he planned this all along?

"Come, you two." The way Archer said it made Siegfried feel like a little kid reprimanded by a teacher. "We're already late and have many things to discuss."

* * *

Siegfried liked working with competent people, so he considered the meeting fruitful.

Lancer turned out to be a wise leader, able to easily recognize strengths of his subordinates. He did not behave like a tyrant they say he was in life, rather like someone who believes that an experienced assistant is far more useful than even the most obedient tool.

Archer, although asked to take the lead, was rather a type who counsels from the shadows. With his sharp mind and unique skills he will be responsible for communication on the battlefield and real-time tactics adjusted to circumstances.

Saber had no objections and was really glad that these two are not his enemies.

His own task during battles will be to fight on the frontlines, especially to keep enemy Servants away from Lancer. If Vlad decides to fight personally, Siegfried will replace him as a commander, moving from one flank to another to keep the situation under control.

Now he summarized their plans to his Master. Gordes, spread comfortably on a sofa, was enjoying a drink. Saber had a feeling that alcohol helps this man stay calm.

When the reporting finished, Gordes only nodded, having nothing to add except short 'Hmm'. It seemed promising, but then a strange question followed.

"Tell me, Saber, what is your wish?"

Taken by surprise, Siegfried could only stare blankly at the alchemist, like a complete idiot. Not that his Master had no right to know, but Saber was not yet ready to answer, sure that he won't be understood.

"My wish?"

"Summoning you was possible because you have a wish for the Grail, right?"

Well, theoretically. Saber needed a moment to carefully choose the right words. Expressing the feelings and desires he was barely aware of was not his strongest point.

"I do not have a wish for the Grail. It's rather something I want to accomplish myself."

He didn't understand what exactly enraged his Master, but could clearly see a pulsing vein on the man's forehead. The mage was probably soundlessly counting to ten right now.

"Why you're lying to me, Siegfried?"

Saber made a longer pause, surprised that such ridiculous accusation angered him. He didn't like where their conversation was going, but had no idea how to stop it. He was bad in dealing with people and that, too, haven't changed after his death.

"No need to be so nervous, Master." He tried to be as polite as possible. "I have no reason to lie to you."

Asking a choleric to the core to calm down is like telling a drunk man that he's drunk – it always ends with furious protest.

"Bullshit! You think I don't know your legend?! After such dishonorable death, you must have regrets and seek vengeance!"

Again, this strange assumption left Siegfried speechless.

"So this is how it looks to you, Master? I'm aware that I have nothing to prove it, only my word of honor, but please try to understand that I have no regrets. It was just an ordinary death, which I accepted, nothing more. It would be a waste if you couldn't trust me for such a trivial reason."

"Trust you?! A familiar, a mere tool, wants to be trusted?!"

"Trust me as a tool then, Master." Still no emotions in Saber's voice, only that irritating politeness. "Whether it's magic or sword, one needs time to learn how to unleash the full potential of his tools. We, Heroic Spirits, experienced things that inspired people through ages. That's why we have much more to offer than our swords and skills, my mind and experience is yours to use as well. If you know war, Master, you should already know how important cooperation is during battle…"

It wasn't good. The magus turned red and hit the table with all his might. The wine in the bottle rippled but hasn't been spilled… yet.

"And now you dare to instruct me?! As expected from a knight, damn you and your pride!"

Siegfried needed a lot of energy to refrain himself from sighing, it could only make things worse (was it even possible?).

"I'm not half as proud as you think, Master. And I'm responsible only for what I said, not what you understood."

"Quiet!" Now Gordes not only hit the table with his fist, but stood up suddenly, spilling the wine in the process. What a waste, it smelled good and must have been valuable...

They stood like this for long five minutes. Gordes was probably trying to calm himself down and Saber intended to show that he's willing to obey even stupid orders, like being quiet during a quarrel. Somehow the silence between them seemed more ominous than angry screams.

One more minute. Saber realized that trying to stand humbly in the corner of the room is difficult, if not impossible, for someone with as monumental posture as his own. No matter how hard he tries, he'll be always towering over this man.

"Master…"

"I told you to be quiet, Saber."

"But Mas…"

"Begone!" Gordes was working on it, but one cannot totally suppress his own character. "I don't want to see or hear you till the evening council!"

"Understood."

 _Well, at least some serious orders_ , Siegfried thought while leaving the room in his spirit form.

As he already admitted, Saber did not regret anything so far. Words have been said, so they've been also heard. Even if this stubborn man decides to ignore suggestions, he will at least consider them, voluntarily or not.

* * *

So… first chapters are difficult, at least for me.

To be honest, I could never hate Gordes, no matter how hard I tried. I was always like: "Hey, something's wrong here, a total jerk wouldn't summon such a wonderful Saber, right?" I really tried to understand this guy better and wanted to give him more credit than he got in the original story. Will it work? Well, you'll be the ones to decide.

I assume that readers interested in this kind of story already know 'Fate/Apocrypha', so I won't be rewriting every single scene if there are no changes in it. Telling the same story again and again irritates me, personally I think it's just a waste of time.

I plan to switch narrators and points of view later, I just didn't want to throw it all in your faces in the first chapter. I also want to give Vlad and some other characters more occasions to shine.

And, of course, all characters and features, belong to their rightful owners, I own only my bad writing.


	2. Little Acts of Kindness

Thank You for comments and kind words, they really help me! I always consider Your suggestions and use many of them, so don't hesitate to tell me what You think!

I used fragments of original text of "Fate/Apocrypha" in this chapter – because I think that no one would say better what's been said there and I didn't even feel like trying.

* * *

 **2: Little Acts of Kindness**

 _I see. They don't need the Grail anymore, they've just found something far more precious._

* * *

Staying away from his Master was not as easy as it seems.

Except the short moment, when the Black Faction gathered to watch the enemy Saber in action, all Servant-Master pairs spent their time together, trying to know each other better or simply 'bonding'. Siegfried could tell that they were doing pretty well, especially the siblings, Caules and Fiore. The girl and Chiron, who were enjoying the afternoon tea together, already looked like a family. And Berserker with her young Master seemed so innocent in the garden full of flowers...

 _I hope I won't be forced to fight them in the end_. Siegfried shook his head, amazed by his own thoughts. _Master doesn't look like one who would hurt them so easily, it would be rather a fight between Servants._ _What's his wish by the way? Like he would ever tell me…_

Those were the consequences of being left alone with too much time to overthink things Saber had no control over.

 _I should rather focus on the enemies. We've already decided that the crazy red Saber would be my opponent. This Servant fights like a Berserker, but doesn't lack technique. Interesting._

The other Saber was strong, maybe even enough to pierce through Siegfried's dragon skin, who knows? Well, sooner or later they'll meet on the battlefield. A little bit of excitement rose in Siegfried's heart at the thought. The Holy Grail War is a battle of legends, so it feels natural to look forward to a good duel with some fearsome, famous opponent, right? No sensation could ever match this anticipation in a heart of a warrior.

 _Indeed, we are all madmen, who lived and died by the sword._

Strong or not, this Servant was not beyond Siegfried's reach. Both Saber and Lancer agreed on this matter.

 _Seems like Vlad believes in my abilities much more than my own Master. How pitiful_.

Later Astolfo assaulted Siegfried on the roof and started fulfilling his last promise about socializing his fellow Servant at all costs. It escalated quickly from a meaningless exchange of comments on the weather, and Siegfried's half-hearted murmurs (really, long talks are not his strong point), to a serious discussion about the meaning of being a hero.

'The inner need to help others, little acts of kindness, is what makes you a true hero' – it was Rider's point of view, so different from Siegfried's perspective, that Saber needed time to consider it.

He always thought that a hero must be strong to achieve great things normal people can't, to be some kind of an unreachable force to solve problems of others. Astolfo proved him wrong in just one conversation. Rider considered himself weak, but Siegfried could clearly see that this little paladin has the strongest heart of them all.

'To give an old lady a glass of water when she can't reach it' – Astolfo said back then. 'To make an orphaned child smile again, even if only for a while. To pet a stray cat when everyone else is afraid to touch it. To let others live their lives how they want – to the fullest, of course! – is the true purpose of the souls summoned from the Throne of Heroes back to the world of mortals.'

It was a kind of heroism far beyond Saber's way of thinking, yet it felt strangely appealing to him. After all, his own wish to help, even if it's unwanted, didn't seem so different.

Saber learned quickly that only half of Rider's words has sense, and the other half consists of ridiculous babbling, but chatting like that was a surprisingly nice way to spend time. Later Astolfo followed his Master underground (he did not look very enthusiastic about it), leaving Siegfried alone again.

Although it was a strange thing to admit, Siegfried soon got bored. Too soon for a soul of a long fallen warrior, in his own opinion. Having nothing constructive to do, he would give much to just sit in his room with a good book, but… he was the only Servant of Black without his own room in the fortress. A kind reminder from his Master that Saber is not a person anymore.

Saber sighed and let the wind play with his hair and cloak. Again, the only moving creatures in sight were homunculi in their white uniforms, working tirelessly like an army of ants. A group near the entrance were unloading the supplies. With such equipment this fortress could withstand at least two months of siege.

"Hmmm."

Siegfried knew that homunculi are stronger than normal people, but still watching some fragile-looking females with heavy boxes was too much for him. Before he realized what he's doing, the first package was already in his hands.

Homunculi scattered like sparrows, not knowing what's going on.

"Saber… sir." A proudly looking female, probably the leader of this small group, carefully came closer. "What are you doing?"

"Helping, I guess."

The way he said it, like it was an obvious and natural thing to do, made the woman blink in bewilderment.

"Saber… sir… It's our role to take care of this place and the guests."

"I'm not a guest, but a simple servant, just like you. Besides, I'm using your magical energy all the time, it's the least I can do in exchange, right?"

"If you say so…"

Saber picked up another heavy package like it weighed nothing, showing that any protest or complaint will be ignored.

"So where should I take this, miss…?"

"Toole."

"Nice to meet you, Toole."

She blushed or Siegfried just imagines things? _Interesting_.

"H-here, put them on the cart."

He nodded and obeyed. The female homunculus observed him with her eyes wide open, clearly suspicious.

"What's wrong?" Siegfried couldn't stand her hilarious expression.

"Nothing. It's just strange… You help us, although we didn't ask for it, and want nothing in return. That's unusual but also very kind."

Saber froze for a moment with a package in his hand, then chuckled quietly.

 _So this is it, Rider? Little acts of kindness, huh?_

"Why are you laughing?"

"No particular reason, sorry." But his expression remained cheerful. Much better than his usual calm focus and steel, cold eyes, at least in Toole's opinion. "I've just realized that I'm one step closer to fulfilling my wish."

"Is that so? How?"

"Never mind."

Homunculi were indeed strong, but couldn't match a Servant, both in physical traits and precision of movements. Siegfried moved the load from one cart to another in a blink of an eye.

"That should do for now." Siegfried frowned, observing a sudden commotion inside the fortress. Homunculi were running around in a great hurry, like looking for something. "Do you know what's happening, miss Toole?"

"One of us has escaped the lab," the homunculi girl explained simply, pretending to not care, but some subtle details, like touching a lock of her hair, betrayed her. "We've been ordered to search for him."

 _Escaped, so it means that they're not as mindless as mages thought. At least not all of them._

He wanted to share his thoughts with Toole, but her group was already on the way to the castle. Siegfried noticed a strange, suspicious haste in their movements.

"Why are you running away?"

"You should be the first to know this, Saber… sir." Toole blinked and evacuated even faster than her companions.

"Saaaaabeeeeeer!"

 _Well, even a wild hog would be proud of such a loud cry!_ Siegfried felt how his shoulders drop helplessly. Now he understood why the homunculi escaped so eagerly… and for a moment he regretted not joining them.

* * *

"To think that I had to personally come for you all the way from my room!"

Siegfried slightly tilted his head, trying to understand what's wrong this time. Indeed, he could feel a pressure from his Master some time ago, but no order followed it, so he stayed away as promised. If Gordes really called for Saber, he probably wasn't sure what he wants, that's why the communication failed. Or…

"It's because you're blocking the connection between us, Master."

"What?!" The alchemist turned around, too surprised to yell at his Servant.

"Despite the fact that I'm not using your magical energy, Master, the flow is strong, I'm sure you can feel it." He focused on their bond, an energetic path that only a Master and Servant can describe. His link to this reality was strong and steady, but quiet. Too quiet. No emotion or thought could pass through the wall of Gordes' lack of trust. "If we both learn how to use it to its full capacity, you won't have to form your commands anymore, Master, I will be able to react to intention only. Opening this path to improve our abilities is called bonding."

The magus did not answer, but his face turned red and fists clenched, which could not mean anything good.

"I'm really tempted to order you to shut up permanently, Saber, so don't try my patience."

 _Well, that would complicate things._

"Understood." He obediently followed the mage on the way to the car. "May I know what is our objective?"

"We're going to secure Ruler."

 _Secure?_ Well, it's not so strange that a Ruler has been summoned when so many parties are involved in the conflict, but what Gordes meant by 'securing' this special Servant? A Master's order is a Master's order, like Chiron said before, but Siegfried hoped that there wasn't anything vile behind it.

To not raise unnecessary suspicions, he changed the topic.

"By the way, Master… Wouldn't it be easier to let me drive? We could move faster and without bothering additional escort."

Again Gordes was struck speechless. He turned around and accusingly pointed his finger at Siegfried - he looked like a pug, which's trying to scare a wolf.

"How many times I need to remind you, that you're not here to have fun, Saber?!"

"I didn't know people consider driving a vehicle 'fun'. I just want to be useful to my Master, nothing less and nothing more."

Gordes glared at Siegfried, but couldn't find anything suspicious in his calm, polite expression. The Servant either told the truth or was a true master of sarcasm. Knowing Saber's legend, the mage would rather bet the first option. He sighed, defeated.

"Come. I'm not sure what will be waiting for us there, so prepare for the worst possible scenario."

"As you wish, Master."

Siegfried smiled to himself, knowing that he has just found the most effective way to speak with Gordes – the mage was more willingly listening to advices if Saber justified every single suggestion.

It was his first small victory in this Holy Grail War and it tasted wonderful.

* * *

Lancer of Red was polite or honorable enough to warn her before he attacked, but Ruler thought that it didn't make any difference. His single blow was powerful enough to smash her on the asphalt and Jeanne was strangely sure that his next attack may be fatal.

She didn't expect that a member of the Black Faction would come to her aid, but he was there, right before her – the famous knight ready to slay another dragon.

His Master, determined to take Ruler to the Yggdmillennia fortress, was… annoying. A type of spoiled aristocrat, who can't accept 'no' as an answer – at least this is how it looked like at first glance. Jeanne wondered how they're even able to cooperate. Well, a Servant can't chose who summons him to this world, but those two should have at least SOMETHING in common, right?

She quickly crushed Gordes' dreams with a short answer, that left no place for further discussion, and stared at the Servants who were about to start the first serious duel in this war. The slim figure on the left, his aura hotter than fire. The monumental figure on the right, his eyes as cold as the northern sky. The tension between two warriors was so overwhelming, that even Jeanne froze in anticipation.

The mage was still spouting some nonsense about Ruler joining the Black Faction, but even his Servant seemed to ignore it, focused on the enemy.

"I have met a man like you once. He had the same gaze as you," Lancer said suddenly. "It is beyond doubt that he was a hero. And for you to look upon me with the same eyes... This battle between us is not a result of chance, but an inevitability."

 _I see. They don't need the Grail anymore, they've just found something far more precious._

Overwhelmed by the fighting spirit of both heroes, Master of Black shut up at last and the duel began. For a while Jeanne forgot how to breathe. There was a legend from the North, about a giant wolf that tried to devour the sun, and Jeanne – or maybe Laeticia – thought that nothing can better describe their clash.

 _They're like two invincible forces, trying to dominate each other._

Lancer of Red fought like a demon, showering his opponent with blows, and it seemed than only Siegfried's durability keeps him alive. But Saber was much more than his dragon skin – without his fighting skills, a swordsmanship that long since surpassed mankind, he wouldn't be able to repel most of Karna's ferocious strikes. At this moment they fought as equals, with Lancer having a slight advantage, due to his devastating speed and size of his weapon.

 _Truly a fitting opening for the Holy Grail War_ , Ruler thought.

Still something inside her wanted to scream every time Saber got hit by this deadly lance, recklessly pushing forward, like a madman with only one purpose – to get close enough to his opponent to reach his heart.

Her own fighting style was a mixture of faith, pure determination and instinct, but Ruler couldn't understand why as skilled warrior as Siegfried risks so much to reduce the distance. Jeanne was sure that he's doing this on purpose but why exactly?

Maybe he's just…

* * *

…enjoying the thrill of facing danger, tasting the long forgotten pain, the sensation of torn skin and shed blood.

No, it wasn't something like that, at least not only. The essence of their fierce duel laid much deeper and they both could hardly explain it.

For any observer it might look that Lancer barely touches Siegfried with a tip of his giant spear, but Saber knew that every single blow could – should! – tear his body into shreds.

Such power, such skills, such intent to kill! Saber was amazed, almost terrified, by the warrior who faced him with so much passion.

 _Who is he? His fiendish spear piercing my dragon's armor... his divine skills... Just how many legends has this man created? Just how many trials has he overcome?_

To know the story of the hero before him through the blade seemed not possible, but Saber could certainly know the spirit of this outstanding Lancer. His opponent put his heart in their fight and Siegfried responded properly.

* * *

Focused on the fight, Saber could barely hear his Master yelling in the background. The alchemist was probably trying to challenge the enemy magus to a duel, but was shamelessly ignored. A sharp pain in Saber's core was a sign that Gordes considers using a Command Spell.

For the first time since the beginning of this fight, Siegfried felt cornered. With any moment of deconcentration he risked being hit by a deadly blow. All the progress he'd made to reach Lancer will be lost... But if Gordes decides to use a Command Seal – or do something equally stupid – they will lose much more than this thin balance in battle.

Siegfried knew he can't just ignore his Master. If he did, his speeches about trust and bonding would be worth nothing. Clenching his teeth, Saber jumped back and mentally contacted Gordes.

"Please calm down, Master." Breaking through the wall of anxiety and wounded pride was almost as hard as keeping Lancer at bay. "Everything is under control. I won't lose. All I need now is your healing magic. It really helps a lot."

"Why aren't you winning then?!"

"I'm not losing, Master," Siegfried replied quietly, but with such force, that Gordes instinctively stepped back. "It's a perfect way to know the enemy. It wouldn't be wise to waste this chance, Master. Please consider this."

Lancer understood that something is wrong and did not attack, only looked questioningly at his opponent, narrowing his eyes. He seemed angry for being ignored after such promising exchange of blows. But soon Saber gave him another fiery look, just like before, devoting his very soul to their duel.

"Forgive me, Lancer of Red, it was an emergency. An opponent as worthy as you deserves my full attention. It would be a fatal mistake to not give my all while facing you."

No one could actually lie to Karna, so Lancer was sure that Saber's words were honest. He accepted the explanation with a nod. His eyes sparkled, which meant that he actually appreciated the praise.

Then both warriors smiled and clashed again, like two unstoppable forces, joined in their terrifying but also beautiful dance.

* * *

"At this rate, we will be fighting under the sun, though that's of little concern to me. What of you and your wearied Master?"

Only after hearing this, Siegfried regained his sense of time. It must have been few hours since they started fighting, because another daybreak has come, calm and simply stunning. The rising sun seemed so close that Siegfried could almost reach it…

"I dare to hope that our next meeting will allow us to do battle to our heart's content."

"I must say... luck has been on my side. I am grateful from the bottom of my heart that the first of my battles was with you, Saber of Black."

Words of approval from Lancer were beyond any prize. Between them was the bond that existed between warriors - an almost innocent, adolescent hope that each would only be felled by the other's arm.

"Farewell, Saber," said the warrior of the sun and dematerialized before Ruler or anyone else managed to stop him.

For a long moment Siegfried stood on the grass like an idiot, barely connected to the reality. The fight was so intense, that he still felt like floating in the air – for a living person it would be easy to explain as the effect of adrenaline, but was it even possible to feel like that as a Servant?

He glanced over his shoulder at Gordes, who was trying to convince Ruler that joining the Black Faction is her secret dream. For some reason Saber felt slightly annoyed by such disrespectful stubbornness of his Master.

 _This man just doesn't know when to quit. I should already get used to his rudeness, but…_

Saber looked around, sighing heavily. Their surroundings were devastated, and a simple suitcase abandoned on the road looked particularly pitiful. Ruler's belongings, mostly clothes, were lying around, covered in dirt from the road and dust raised by the violent clash of Servants.

Again, before he realized what he's doing, Siegfried started to gather the scattered baggage.

"What's the meaning of this, Saber?" It seemed that both Gordes and Ruler were equally surprised.

"I'm just cleaning the mess we both made, Master." _Damn, I must come up with a good explanation. Quickly._ Sure that the mage won't accept simple 'I wanted to help because only a total asshole leaves a girl on the road', Siegfried decided to improvise. He informed Gordes mentally: "It's another way to gain her trust, Master. I may be able to get some useful information from her."

A moment of tensed silence.

"Fine" – came the mental answer. "But I won't be waiting for you all day, so make it quick."

"Of course, Master. Thank you for trusting me."

Feeling that there's still a small chance to succeed with their mission, Gordes said goodbye to Ruler and got back to the car. He also tried hard to not openly show his displeasure, which was a nice change as well.

Ruler sighed and hurried to join Siegfried. Their hands touched slightly when they both reached for the same shirt.

"I'm sorry, I…" Saber blushed slightly, realizing that it was a lace nightgown. "I assure you I'm not a pervert who likes touching women's underwear, I just wanted to help. Leaving you here with this mess just didn't seem right."

"N-no, it's fine." Ruler seemed even more embarrassed, she couldn't even look him in the eye. "You didn't have to, but I appreciate your help. Thank you."

Siegfried nodded and focused on his work. They stayed like this for a while, bent over scattered clothes, with their foreheads almost touching each other. Saber had to dematerialize his gloves to fix the suitcase.

"Should work for now." He checked the lock one more time and stood up, when they packed the suitcase together. "I bet you have a safe place to stay? Should I assist you on the way?"

He could try to investigate the girl, like he promised to Gordes, but focused on her safety instead. Ruler was visibly happy that he didn't torture her with troublesome questions she can't or doesn't want to answer.

"I can take care of myself, don't worry." She smiled. "You should go back to your Master. He doesn't seem to be a patient man and I don't want you to get into troubles because of me."

"He's… not as bad as he looks like. I hope so." Siegfried bowed slightly before vanishing into spirit form. "Take care, Ruler. I hope we'll meet again soon."

Jeanne stood for a moment on the road, lost in thought after being struck with one of her prophetic visions, and let the breeze play with her long, golden hair.

"I'm sure we will, Saber of Black. Sooner than you think."


	3. Point of No Return

Hello, I'm back at last! Sorry for keep You waiting, but I have some personal problems recently and need to slow down a little. I can assure you that I'm not giving up any of my stories, I just have a bad habit of writing all of them at once, so I don't know myself which one will be updated first.

Now, answering Your comments…

To a Guest who suggested a pairing with Mordred: I admit that it's highly suspicious, because when I use Siegfried as a catalyst in my FGO only Mordreds answer my call. All version of Mordred. Multiple Mordreds. No joking!

To a Guest who suggested a new name (and nature) for the homunculus: I don't want to spoil the fun, so I'll say only that I thought of something like that already and the general idea seems very appealing to me.

And the last thing – some of You know already that I like to choose a theme song for every story. In case You wondered, my theme for this one is "Tsuioku" by Kalafina (well, I hope that the lyrics won't reveal my plans to You!).

This chapter seems longer than the others, mostly because Achilles was trying to steal the show. The story will differ meaningfully from the original Apocrypha from now on, so… hope You'll enjoy!

* * *

 **3: Point of No Return**

 _'What the…?! His eyes!' For the first time since the beginning of the war, Gordes was afraid of his own Servant._

* * *

On their way back Siegfried noticed that his Master is strangely quiet. The mage not only did not comment on the skills of his Servant, even once (which was suspicious enough), but also let him drive faster than really needed. Saber did not even have to explain that a little bit of haste is recommended to not be discovered during the day.

Actually, they didn't meet anyone on the way. The road was empty and Siegfried let himself test what this fancy modern machine is capable of.

 _Now I understand what he meant by saying that driving is fun. Damn, it is!_

He glanced through the rearview mirror to check on his Master, when he entered a curve way too fast. Still nothing. No word, only absolute, ominous silence.

Saber should rather feel relief, but he has already learnt that silent Gordes means plotting Gordes… In short: troubles were coming.

It didn't change in the castle, when they were walking through the corridor. Saber was about to break the silence, when a familiar face emerged from one of the rooms.

"Ummmn, I'm really sorry but… oh… I've been sent to tell you to be… ready for the evening," Astolfo said cheerfully, but his usual smile seemed forced this time. That, and the fact that the pink-haired Servant hesitated before adding another sentence, alarmed Siegfried. Something was wrong with Rider today. "Berserker of Red is coming and we'll depart tonight, probably. So… I'll be going now. Bye, bye!"

Saber, extremely suspicious, watched the paladin until he disappeared from sight. Rider clearly intended to say something more, maybe even needed help?

But whatever Astolfo wanted from Siegfried, he tried to hide it from Masters. It was strange and Saber had no idea what's going on.

Well, he had a much more serious problem: Gordes, who still looked like a dark cloud a moment before exploding with heavy rain.

"Master… I have a feeling that you are displeased." Siegfried waited for any reaction, but the alchemist only quickened his pace. "Is it because Lancer has not been defeated? Or because our mission to convince Ruler to join us failed? Or maybe there's another reason I don't know about?"

Gordes did not even look at his Servant, only clenched his fists, trying to suppress another attack of rage.

Ten, nine, eight… Sure that his Master already counted to ten, Saber spoke again:

"Master, if you don't tell me what exactly displeases you, I will not be able to correct my behavior. I need to know what you wish from me."

The storm started at last. Even the thunder god himself wouldn't be ashamed of such explosion.

"You really don't know?! I'll tell you then!" His face, even eyes, were red at this moment. "While you and that cocky Lancer had fun, all the other Masters were watching us, laughing at you! Laughing at ME! And I… I…"

 _I could only watch and admire you, damn legends!_

"Master… So you were so nervous back then because you wanted to show off?" Saber tilted his head, thinking; there was no mocking or displeasure in his voice, he just wanted to understand Gordes better. "And I guess that your wish is to bring fame and respect to your family name… Am I correct, Master?"

Gordes' face turned from red to purple. How could it be that this familiar deciphered him so easily?

"You have a problem with that?!"

"No, Master, just the opposite. Reputation was very important, both to knights and to the people of the North, so I can only praise you for such wish. I will support you with all my might."

Saying that, Siegfried bowed with respect before the mage, pretending to not notice his embarrassment. Even if he did not share such beliefs, he could understand and even follow them… at least as long as his Master will remember that there are more important things in life.

"Of course you will! You're my Servant, don't dare to speak to me as if you have a choice!"

"Yes, Master." For the first time Saber did not feel scolded, there was a new, gentle tune in Gordes' voice. His words might be harsh, but intentions were definitely not.

 _Maybe he's a man who yells at you more if he actually likes you?_ _Good grief… It might be much worse, I guess._

"I'm going to rest now. Don't wander alone, Saber, and wake me up in the evening."

 _Do I look like a child to you? Or maybe like a maid? You'll never stop surprising me._

But at loud Siegfried said only short:

"Yes, Master."

To not drain the mage any further, he changed into spirit form and followed his Master as ordered, but couldn't stop thinking about Rider's suspicious behavior.

What if it was about something very important? No, Astolfo would contact him again if he REALLY needs help, Saber was sure of that. His task for now was to rest and prepare for the upcoming fight.

* * *

 _Such cheerful whistling seems inappropriate when you're going to fight to the death_ , Siegfried thought, watching the strange, green-haired Servant, who was carelessly leaning on the tree. He seemed to ignore his adversaries, like he was taking a nice, refreshing stroll through the sleeping forest. _Is this a provocation or just overconfidence?_

"So... you're the Servant who challenged our Lancer last night? He seemed quite impressed with you." Rider opened his eyes and stared at Siegfried, smiling widely. Mockingly. "Now I want to face you even more!"

"You said it like we're here to have fun…"

"Aren't we?"

Siegfried almost sighed and could hear how Fran growled angrily. He's already noticed that the girl can get nervous very quickly, but this time he agreed with her – there was something annoying about this strange spearman.

"Where were we?" Rider of Red twirled his weapon above his head, demanding attention. "Right, I must say I feel offended. Sending only two of you to face me won't end well for your team. I'll show you the true meaning of the word 'hero', here and now."

Another angry sound came from Fran's throat – mad or not, she was a Heroic Spirit as well, so her pride must have suffered badly from such insult. Saber, on the other hand, did what he could to remain calm. Siegfried didn't like the aura around the Servant before them; his antipathy towards overconfident warriors was a secondary matter.

"Or maybe it's only your arrogance speaking?" – he asked, a little more harshly than intended.

"Is it still arrogance if you show actual power behind your words?"

"We'll see."

"Yes, we will!" Saying that, Rider attacked with enormous speed, so Saber had no time to talk or think anymore.

 _Another spear wielder who relies mostly on speed? Give me a break!_

Rider was fast, even faster than that white-skinned Lancer, but his strikes lacked that enormous strength from last night. There was something suspicious about the weapon itself, and the skills of its wielder were…

"Ha, ha, ha!" Rider blocked Balmung like it was nothing. "You're not even close to my level!"

He pushed back his weapon, then thrust it again, aiming for Saber's stomach. He did no harm, but wasn't even half as surprised about it as Siegfried expected.

"So we're the same, huh?" Rider slightly tilted his head, probably disappointed. "This will be a long night then… unless my Sis will help me a little."

Saber did not recognize the warning before it was too late. An arrow – from where did it come?! – hit him right in the chest with such power, that he literally flied through the forest, crushing every tree on his path.

* * *

Watching his almost invincible Servant sent flying by a single arrow wasn't fun at all.

Gordes clenched his teeth, frustrated. After being thrown like that, he would be enraged and bloodthirsty, already focused on planning his vengeance. But what Saber felt in this situation?

The alchemist shook his head, realizing that he's wasting time. He shouldn't try to guess it when he just could check it through their 'bond', as his own Servant suggested. Any good Master would do so, then give some instructions to win even an impossible battle, right?

He concentrated, opened to the flow of emotions, and frowned, surprised. Siegfried wasn't angry, his pride untouched or nonexistent at all – the swordsman only tried to analyze the facts and guess the weak points of his enemies.

Gordes didn't know what to think of it, but he hated such situations, so he yelled mentally at his familiar:

"Saber, a tiny wound like that shouldn't be a problem for you!"

"Yes, Master, but Rider of Red doesn't need to know it."

A moment of silence. Such tactic made some sense, to be honest.

"So you'll be standing there, enjoying the view, and letting the girl fight alone?"

"Observing, Master. And only for a while. Maybe we'll get some clues."

"But not for too long, you lazy ass!"

"Master… please stop. I must be focused and you make me laugh."

"You're not here to have fun, Siegfried! Hurry up, use your Noble Phantasm and finish it quickly!"

"Wait, Master, let's think it over together!" Siegfried knew he must do something, because using his Noble Phantasm now will be like giving his identity for free at the beginning of the war - an act of unbelievable stupidity. "Rider said that we're the same after his last strike couldn't break through… Which heroes are nearly invincible?"

"Huh?" Gordes was surprised at first, but then concentrated on his new task, at least having something useful to do during the fight. "Sigurd seems to be the most similar to you..."

"He's definitely NOT Sigurd, Master."

"I know, you moron! I'm thinking, do not disturb! Gawain is said to be invincible under the sun, but we're in the middle of the night here. There's also Baldur, who can be killed only by a mistletoe, but he's a Norse god, not a hero… Damn, that leaves only gods and half-gods, I guess. Karna from Hindu mythos has an armor which makes him invincible. And, of course, Achilles, who can be wounded only in the heel…"

"Achilles?" Siegfried murmured, pleased that they at least have a plan now. "That would explain his incredible speed. I'll try to aim for his heels then. Maybe it won't be enough to defeat the guy, but we'll at least confirm his identity. Still I will need back up, Archer of Red is… troublesome."

"You think too much, Saber. Stop complaining and get ready." Finally they agreed on something and Gordes' energy has been channeled on useful and logical actions. "Berserker will go for Archer of Red, you'll keep Rider busy. I informed Chiron, he will back you both up. And get rid of this arrow already, so I'll be able to heal you."

"Thank you, Master." Siegfried pulled out the arrow with one swift movement; the wound was barely visible, but Gordes took care of it anyway. "This battle would be lost if not your intervention."

"But of course! I'm your Master after all!" Although he would never admit it, the mage was more than happy to be praised like that. So he just wanted to be useful but didn't know what to do? "Now go!"

"Understood, Master!"

Saber wasn't sure if feeding Gordes' ego further is a good idea, but it helped for now. He smiled at last, feeling how their bond explodes with new energy. Siegfried channeled it in the form of a blue light on the tip of his sword and waited for the best moment to strike.

* * *

As expected, Fran alone was no match for Achilles. Despite all her efforts and skills, she's been thrown at the nearest tree like a rag doll. Growling angrily, she stood up. Again. And again. And again.

"You should have enough already," said the spearman; no mocking in his voice this time. He probably didn't enjoy such uneven fight, which would bring him neither fame nor satisfaction. "Hurry up and surrender. You will like your new home in the Red Faction."

In response, the girl only raised her weapon and prepared to fire one of her Noble Phantasms. Rider's eyes narrowed dangerously, when he stared at the sparkles of electricity gathering around Berserker of Black.

"I see, you're giving me no choice. Damn Mad Enhancement."

Fran charged at him without warning but then… she turned left and passed him by, targeting Archer of Red instead.

Siegfried thought that the girl has an amazing instinct, which let her read the situation so perfectly even in her partially insane state of mind. She moved away just in time to make space for Saber's surprise attack.

Rider was fast and experienced enough to dodge, but it was exactly what Saber wanted. He performed a quick feint and used Balmung with only one hand to reach the other Servant's heel.

"Oh? So you guessed after all?" Avoiding the blow like it was a child's play, Rider of Red whistled through his teeth. Siegfried could only curse soundlessly and admire the skills of the ancient hero before him. "Now it's getting interesting! At least you showed some spirit! So you're not one of those boring knights in shining armors, rather a fine warrior of old, just like Lancer said! So why there's a cross on the hilt of your sword? Is it a camouflage or something?"

"Ones like you irritate me." Siegfried frowned. "A true hero would show some respect, even to his enemies."

"In my world you had to deserve respect first."

"A cheap excuse of a spoiled brat."

Achilles should at least show some anger, but he only laughed. Speaking with this guy was a waste of time.

It seemed that Chiron came to the same conclusion, because one of his arrows suddenly hit Rider of Red in the chest.

Siegfried recognized the shock in the eyes of his opponent – he felt like this last night, when Lancer's fierce strikes pierced his dragon skin. It wasn't a fear, rather a strange excitement. Even a tiny wound was like a harsh reminder that nothing in this world is truly invincible - a proof of one's mortality.

"You were right, Rider of Red. Indeed, we are the same."

"What?" His opponent was too focused on avoiding arrows to answer properly, but it didn't matter for Siegfried.

Due to their specific traits and mutual understanding, they could fight as equals now, at least until one side won't decide to use its Noble Phantasm. All Saber needed to do was to keep up with the enemy and take the opportunity to reach his weak point. Caring for the balance, just like Chiron advised, he let himself smile widely and give the warrior before him all he's got.

* * *

Assaulted by Archer's arrows and a blue bladestorm caused by Siegfried, for the first time since the beginning of this fight Rider of Red was clearly at disadvantage. Feeling that he has already lost Atalanta's support, Achilles was about to retreat.

Chiron could feel that pressing Rider too much is dangerous – he may react like a cornered beast and either withdraw or go all out. To be honest, the first option was much better for both factions.

But, for a moment shorter than a blink of an eye, Archer hesitated. It was a chance to get rid of 'the Rider problem' here and now, by shooting Achilles' heel and letting Saber finish the job… at least theoretically.

He sighed, ashamed of his own thoughts. Was his wish to the Grail important enough to make him forget about honor? No, his pupil didn't deserve such pitiful end. If fate placed them both in the opposite teams, they at least should fight fairly, like heroes do.

"Mission complete. Saber, Berserker. Let Rider and Archer go," Chiron commanded, as a supervisor of this operation. "All enemies withdrew and Rider's identity has been revealed. You both did well."

* * *

"Wait, Saber, stay where you are! We must go after Rider!"

The mage's yelling surprised Siegfried. Gordes has some other plans than the rest of their team, wanted to show off again or what?

"Master, Archer has just…"

"Not this Rider, you idiot! Our Rider. Of Black." The alchemist was speaking with haste, breathing heavily, like he was running through the fortress. "That fool escaped with a stolen homunculus. You're already in the forest, so we're going to stop them."

"What?" - Saber said it at loud, in deep shock. Toole mentioned something about her escaping comrade, but Siegfried would never imagine that Astolfo is involved. And now they both escaped… So this is why he didn't want to talk when Gordes was around, right?

 _So it WAS important after all! What have you done, Rider?_

"Master, it will be faster if I go alone, you can catch up when I'll find them," he proposed, mostly because he wanted to speak with Astolfo privately first.

"No, wait for me. This stolen specimen is very precious, we cannot risk damaging it."

 _'Specimen'_? Siegfried sighed, having no choice but to obey and hope that Rider won't do anything more stupid or dangerous in the meantime.

* * *

 _Has Saber of Black gone mad?_

Ruler, struck by another vision, hurried through the forest around the castle of Yggdmillenia. She was prepared to fight, her armor fully materialized and weapon already in hand.

She's seen a lot of blood and an unknown boy, lying limply on the ground. Has Saber of Black murdered some innocent bystander? Why this vision was so different from the last one, when they met on the road? Back then she'd seen only a little quarrel between Saber and Rider of Black, but now…

It looked like a serious violation of the rules. Although Saber didn't seem to be a person who kills randomly, Jeanne knew that most Heroic Spirits have blood on their hands and even the calmest individual can break any taboo for a single wish.

Ruler sighed, hoping that whatever happened, can be logically explained. She has to remain neutral, but that doesn't mean that she would feel nothing while punishing such a nice Servant…

* * *

"What have you done, Rider? Or rather: what you intended to do?"

Astolfo winced, pushing the tip of Balmung away from his face. He understood that Saber had no choice but to attack, when his Master ordered him to. He also appreciated the fact, that the big man restrained himself to not really hurt the much weaker paladin – it was more a display for Gordes than a real fight.

"We're wasting time here, Saber!" Astolfo already stood up and looked around in search of his homunculi friend. "Hurry up and help me save him before your Master will do something stupid!"

Siegfried followed him reluctantly through the forest, not yet sure what to think about it.

"I'm afraid that's impossible. He belongs to Caster now, there's nothing we can do..."

Saber froze, pierced by an extremely unfriendly glare of Rider. Then he blinked, when Astolfo suddenly kicked him in the knee.

"I trusted you, you know? But it seems I was wrong. You already forgot what it means to be a hero or you just pretended to be one?!" Siegfried noticed suspicious light in the corners of Astolfo's eyes. Tears, really? " _Impossible_ is not an answer here, idiot! There's only one right thing to do now and I'm going to save him, with your help or without it!"

Siegfried watched the little paladin for a while, expressionless as usual. Then he just reached out his hand without a word. Rider stepped back, like expecting a punch, but nothing violent happened.

"I'm sorry." Saber gently patted Astolfo's head. "You were right from the beginning. Come, let's stop this madness together."

* * *

Gordes could barely remember what pissed him so much to knock out the rebellious homunculus, but was well aware what's enraging him now – the nonsense about saving the boy coming from Saber's mouth. He's already told this insolent familiar what he thinks of such idiotic idea and…

All his anger vanished immediately, replaced by fear.

 _What the…?! His eyes!_ For the first time since the beginning of the war, Gordes was afraid of his own Servant.

Actually, there was no aggression in this cold blue gaze. Siegfried rather gave his Master a look of absolute defiance. Such unbearable stubbornness infuriated Gordes. He thought of using a Command Seal to crush the pride of his familiar, but ten deep breaths calmed the magus down enough to make him reconsider.

 _'I'm not even half as proud as you, Master'_ \- Gordes remembered Siegfried's words and clenched his fists, somehow frustrated. So, unless Saber is not a hopeless liar (would he be able to deceive his own Master through their 'bond' he spoke of so often? is it even possible?), there must be a reason of this rebellion, right?

The mage would gain nothing from escalating the conflict, he might even lose Saber as a result. Yes, that gaze alone was enough to tell that there will be no turning back if something goes wrong.

"Why do you want to save him?" - Gordes asked eventually, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He was not yet sure if he really wants to know or just plays for time.

"You asked about my wish, Master." Having no reason to hesitate anymore, Siegfried decided to be honest. This 'now or never' moment would probably decide if their further cooperation is possible. "This is it. To save someone because I want to. And because it's the right thing to do, Rider here kindly reminded me this simple truth. I believe that you, too, are aware of that, Master. That's why you felt guilty for punching this boy. Now you have a chance to fix everything."

"Huh?" Astolfo, who was clinging to the unconscious boy all the time, blinked, not sure if he understands what's actually happening around him.

"Are you kidding me?" Gordes was equally surprised, his hand holding a tissue stopped in a strange position near his cheek.

"I know it's a selfish wish, but…"

Suddenly Gordes just burst out laughing. It was a strange, hysterical laughter, which seemed impossible to stop.

 _That's it? Really?_

The sudden realization that he didn't know his own tool at all struck him too hard to react calmly. What's more, this Servant believed in Gordes despite their little misunderstandings and held no grudge against him… Was it still his nobility or rather stupidity?

 _And he thinks that such wish is selfish? If everyone could be as selfish as this Dragon Knight, the world would be a better place!_

"What an idiot!" Gordes snorted, not even sure if he means Saber or himself.

Probably both. They were more compatible than anyone could expect.

"Master, are y…?" Saber frowned when Gordes silenced him with a dismissive wave of his hand.

The magus turned around without a word, kneeled near the homunculus and began the inspection.

"You!" He pushed Rider away. "If you can't help at least don't get in the way. Move, quickly."

"A-ah." Astolfo stood up obediently before he even managed to consider the possibility of opposing. He looked questioningly at Saber, but they both could only shrug simultaneously, not sure what's going on.

"Do you need assistance, Master?" Saber kneeled too, more than eager to help.

"Pff. First you're questioning my orders, now you doubt that I'm able to fix one of my own creations?"

Siegfried slightly lowered his head.

"It was never my intent…"

"I know, I'm not an idiot." Gordes frowned, thinking. "But you are. Caster will retrieve this homunculus soon and you won't even know if he completely recovered."

"No, this can't happen!" Rider clung to their little patient again, determined to stay like this forever. "He can't go back! It won't count as saving him, not at all! I will take him to a safe place!"

"And you, Rider, are the biggest idiot this world has ever seen!" Gordes accusingly pointed his finger at Astolfo. "You won't take this homunculus anywhere! You're still running freely through this forest only because Command Seals are too precious to waste them on your petty rebellion! Otherwise you would be already chained to the wall in the deepest dungeon!"

"Master." Siegfried's calm voice was like a cold shower to their emotions. "What should we do then?"

"I'm thinking about it. First give me your blood, Saber."

"Blood?"

"You want to save him or not? Your blood, quickly. His heart is almost healed but won't start working without some fresh blood to pump. Or rather a magical energy to power it up."

Gordes didn't need to repeat the order, Saber already cut a deep wound in his own arm and let the blood flow freely. The limp body of their patient absorbed every drop greedily like a dry soil.

"Will it work?" – Siegfried asked, staring at pale, innocent face of homunculus.

"Who knows? You have a dragon magic within you, right?" Siegfried confirmed with a nod. "I always thought that merging homunculi with Phantasmal Species is impossible, but it doesn't look like we have other options here."

"So you're just experimenting on him, Master?" Saber frowned, suspicious.

"It really matters for you right now? Just shut up already and look."

Siegfried obeyed without a word. They all watched in tension how magic circuits of the unconscious homunculus open and start emitting strong, blue light.


	4. Nothing Special

Hello Everyone! Here comes… nothing special. ;) You can find more comments at the end of this chapter. Hope You'll enjoy!

* * *

 **4: Nothing Special**

 _"_ _Saber, if you had a choice, would you turn into a monster to gain more power?"_

* * *

"What's going on here, Saber of Black?" Ruler, a little tired after a long run, showed up from the bushes. She still hoped that, whatever had happened, it's not too late to fix it. "Explain yourself."

"He lives!" Astolfo, with tears in his eyes, hugged the barely awake homunculus, so tightly that the boy coughed painfully. "Oh, sorry for that…"

"I'm glad it worked." Saber smiled gently and moved few steps back, seeing that the boy is afraid of him. No surprise, just a moment ago Siegfried was his enemy, who brutally assaulted Rider. And Gordes literally killed the kid, so… "Don't worry, Ruler. We had an emergency rescue here, but it should be fine now."

"Rescue?" Jeanne stared at Siegfried, red from blood – his own and that of the still pale, frightened boy - and breathed out a sigh of relief. She was glad that it only looked like a slaughter.

Saber, although he noticed her hesitation, smiled and explained the situation in his usual, laconic way.

"I see." Jeanne stared at the boy, as if she was trying to uncover the secret of his mysterious resurrection from his expression alone. There was nothing special about him, at least at first glance. The boy looked just… more alive than before. "What will happen to him now?"

In the silence that fell around them after this difficult but crucial question, they could hear even a distant hooting of an owl.

"I must take him to the lab for further examination," Gordes said eventually, crossing his arms under accusing gazes of three Servants. "What? Don't look at me like that, it's for his own good!"

The boy shivered and shook his head at the thought of going back to the underground factory. Maybe he wasn't yet ready to decide for himself, but he clearly didn't like this idea.

"You can't take him back there!" Astolfo was prepared to put his life on the line for the good of his new friend. "I told you already, it won't count as helping!"

"Do you really think that Caster and the rest will let him go just like that?" Gordes frowned, thinking. "All we can do is to convince them that it's better to place him under my care."

"So you can experiment on him, Master?" – Saber asked, not to accuse the mage of ill will, rather to know his true intentions.

Gordes clenched his teeth in anger. He needed a moment to convince himself again that Siegfried is his ally – now also his partner in crime - not an insolent, mindless familiar. It was far too late for such stupid thoughts. They've already stuck in this swamp up to the neck together.

"So I can keep monitoring his condition and prevent him from being used as a mere battery, idiot!"

"Are you willing to take the full responsibility for this boy?" Jeanne's voice, cold and deadly serious, like a well-forged blade, suddenly cut the air. "This is your wish?"

"Wha…?" Gordes turned around to ask Ruler what she means, but stopped mid-sentence. Jeanne wasn't speaking to him, but to two Servants before her.

"Yes," Saber answered first, well-aware of the real message hidden in Ruler's question. "If it means to save this boy, I will protect him as long as I can."

"Yup, count me in!" Astolfo needed more time to understand what's happening, but joined their little game eventually. "If I can help him live like a normal person, I'll do it!"

Jeanne nodded and raised her holy battle flag, like making an oath or official announcement.

"In a Holy Grail War every wish is important," she declared, loud enough to be heard from the nearby shadows. "It is a duty of a Ruler to respect them all. I cannot let anyone ignore wishes of these Heroic Spirits. Do you understand that, Masters and Servants of the Black Faction?"

"So it's the time for the hard, explaining part?" Astolfo laughed awkwardly to hide his embarrassment.

Only Gordes was surprised that all members of the Yggdmillennia team joined them in the woods. Some Masters, like Caules and Fiore, seemed slightly interested in this mess. Others, like Darnic or Celenike, barely managed to hide their increasing bloodlust. Only Roche didn't care at all, annoyed that he was forced to leave his golem factory even for a moment.

"A wish, you say?" Darnic narrowed his eyes, clearly not convinced. He still sent Berserker and Caster to surround the potential traitors. To say that it enraged Gordes would be an understatement. "It's not a wish but a mere robbery. This homunculus is not a person who can be saved, he's a property of Yggdmillennia, with no family or even a name, nothing more than a magically created battery."

Hearing his speech, the boy shivered again, but did not dare to deny this simple truth. For Siegfried and Astolfo it was just too painful to watch.

"Not anymore," said Jeanne, ignoring the obvious threat in Darnic's voice. "Rider wished for him to live as a person, so be it." If Celenike's gaze could kill, Astolfo would be already dead. "Besides, he's been modified too much to be treated like a typical homunculus under your care. Archer, Caster, you can see it as well, am I right?"

Archer confirmed without hesitation, more than willing to help. Avoiding the truth in the presence of a Ruler class Servant wouldn't be wise, so Caster also agreed, although reluctantly.

"Indeed, this homunculus is now somehow different," he murmured, intrigued by bits of a new, unknown magic in the boy's circuits.

"That's why it would be a waste to use him as a core." Gordes joined the discussion uninvited, acting like a self-proclaimed genius again. "This may be the turning point in the history of Alchemy! I can already see the future profits from this project…"

"Only if the boy agrees to help you, Master of Saber." Jeanne interrupted his bragging without a blink. "Remember that your Servant wished to be his protector, he must approve all your actions from this moment."

"This is not a wish for the Grail!" Darnic evidently lost his patience. The situation was just too ridiculous for him – Servants and homunculi are resources of the Black Faction, nothing more. "Only a winner deserves to have his wish granted!"

"You're wrong, Master of Lancer." Jeanne was still polite, but she tensed visibly, with her weapon drawn and ready to strike. "Heroic Spirits who have no wishes of their own rarely answer the call of Masters. Even if it's only a hope for a second chance, or yearning to visit the world of mortals once more, the summoning by the Grail makes it possible. Consider it a price to pay for their service, if it's easier for you. Every wish is important and I won't let anyone disregard them, I swear it on my true name and on this banner."

Vlad narrowed his eyes, recognizing the famous weapon and its wielder. If such special Heroic Spirit sided with the rebellious Rider, there must be a serious reason. It wouldn't be wise to escalate the conflict. Astolfo may be a small fry, but Ruler and her Command Spells is a completely different story. And if Saber decides to join her, breaking the contracts, their team will be destroyed before the true war even starts.

No, such pitiful artificial human is not worth the commotion. He might be of some value for Caster, but for Saber? After all those chivalrous words he's rather not going to use this boy as his personal magical battery… So the homunculus is nothing more than a pet or a squire? Vlad couldn't think of anything else at the moment and he almost chuckled to his own thoughts.

 _Anyway, it's up to me to give orders now._ Lancer himself often rebelled against everyone to fight for his beliefs and, deep inside, admired the nonconformity of the three brave Servants who dared to oppose him now. It was a task for a wise leader to resolve the problem immediately.

"Enough," he spoke at last, calmly but with enough power to make them all obey. "Rider, Saber. Do you consider your last actions a despicable act of treason?"

"Not at all," Astolfo replied with an innocent smile, that almost made his Master explode. "It was a good deed! I did what I believe is right."

"I agree with Rider," Siegfried added simply. "It was the only right thing to do at the moment."

"Hmmm." Somehow Vlad's faint smile didn't look scary at all. "But you must be punished for your disobedience anyway." He glanced at Caster, who immediately trapped Astolfo's hands in a strange clay orb, that did not resemble typical shackles, but clearly worked as one.

Saber stepped forward freely, ready to deal with the consequences of his actions, but his Master stopped him in the middle of a movement.

"I cannot agree to that." Again Gordes intervened uninvited. "Saber did not disobey me, even once. I approved all of his actions, so I cannot let you punish him for something he did not commit."

Fiore and Caules stopped breathing for a moment, both in deep shock. They would never expect their uncle to be so reasonable in such stressful moment. A dangerous flame flickered in the eyes of Darnic; Vlad on the other hand seemed slightly amused by such display of loyalty between a Servant and his Master.

"Let's go back to the castle," he decided. "All of you. Rider will be punished. The homunculus will be placed under the care of Saber's Master. And with you – he stared at Siegfried, trying hard to hide a smile – I must talk first. Privately. – Vlad ignored the unfriendly gaze of his own Master and turned to Ruler. "Would you like to join us, Holy Maiden?"

"I can't." Jeanne was still nervous, like she couldn't believe that her arguments were enough to resolve the conflict. "I must remain neutral."

"I see. Know that I offer you my hospitality whenever you need it. You are also free to come with us and see for yourself if we keep our promise and how we treat the homunculus."

Feeling pinned to the ground by expectant gazes of the boy and Astolfo, full of hope that Ruler won't let anybody hurt them, Jeanne hesitated. It was, at least to some extent, a part of her task as a supervisor, right? She's going to make sure that the wishes of Servants of Black will be executed properly and that Saber will take his new responsibilities seriously. But, knowing the tactical genius of Vlad III, such seemingly innocent offer may have a hidden meaning. It could be a trap or…

Ruler sighed. She should trust more her fellow Christian and legendary leader.

"In that case I gladly accept your invitation."

"Pleasure is all mine." Lancer gave her a barely noticeable, courteous smile.

Almost all members of the Black Faction seemed pleased by her decision, except Caster, Darnic and Celenike. There was a particularly strong, suspicious aura of antipathy around Avicebron and once glance at Saber told Ruler that he had noticed this subtle sign of danger as well.

Their strange procession proceeded slowly to the castle. As expected of a newly assigned mentor and protector, Siegfried waited patiently for the homunculus, who, although still weak, could walk much faster than before. First he was clumsy like a newborn creature, now he looked rather like a normal healthy teenager. The boy passed him by, still a bit nervous, not yet sure if he should be thankful for this unexpected rescue.

And then… Saber narrowed his eyes, strangely alarmed. For a brief moment he could feel something weird deep within the homunculus, something dangerous yet familiar.

 _I guess it can't be helped. Let us hope it was truly a rescue, not a curse._

"Are you satisfied now, you goodhearted idiot?" Gordes' voice woke Siegfried up from his strange daydream. The mage shambled at the end of their group, totally worn up but much calmer than usual, like he has already proven something to himself. "Damn, I need a drink!"

"I don't know how to thank you, Master…"

"Don't even try." The alchemist sighed painfully, wiping away the sweat from his forehead. "I did it for myself, not for you. Now you have no choice but to obey me AT LAST. And bring me the Grail, as expected from a well-trained familiar."

Saber smiled faintly, not able to hide how the last actions of Gordes pleased him. Since the summoning the mage made some mistakes, of course, and will surely make more in the future, like any other human being. But when the time came, he did not hesitate to fix them and did what is right.

It was enough for Siegfried to accept such difficult man as a worthy Master. They were more compatible than anyone could expect.

"Of course, Master. Whatever you wish," Saber said quietly and followed the mage. He kept the distance to not enrage Gordes needlessly by acting like a babysitter, but stayed close enough to catch him in case he's going to faint from exhaustion.

* * *

"Residents of this fortress drink too much."

"Or maybe you drink too little, Siegfried?"

"Considering the fact that Rider constantly keeps asking me to 'relax more', that might be true."

Lancer's private chamber was modest and elegant, with only some silver candlesticks and old paintings to decorate it. Before entering the room, Saber completely dispelled his sword and armor – it was a demonstration of both respect and subordination. Vlad noticed this and other subtle signs of good manners. Saber might look like a wandering mercenary, but he was a prince and clearly knew how to behave in the presence of a king.

"Sit down, taste the wine. You're my guest, not a prisoner… yet."

Siegfried nodded and obeyed. He did not look tensed at all – one more reason for Lancer to like him. Even when Vlad was still alive, he needed to get used to frightened gazes and whispers that always surrounded him. He didn't truly care, back then or never, completely devoted to his task and homeland. But speaking with such outstanding hero as equals was truly refreshing for his old, tired soul.

"I guess that the Red Faction will make a move soon. That's why you want to know if I can still be trusted, am I right?"

Lancer nodded, pleased that the other Servant figured it out by himself. Getting straight to the point saves time and energy, after all.

"You claim that your wish has been granted, so what will you do now?"

"I will simply serve my Master. It didn't change the fact that I belong to the Black Faction. I'm not your enemy, unless my Master orders me to be."

"I see. You may have no desire to win the Grail, but how about your Master?"

"Master Gordes doesn't need the Grail." Siegfried smiled to himself. The last events helped them understand each other better. "But he must realize it by himself, I can only… help him a little with this task."

"But you've already proven to be extremely stubborn and at least as heroic as your legend says, so how can I be sure you won't try to stop me in the end?"

"If your wish is not evil, I have nothing against it," Saber replied simply.

"You would like to know my wish?" Lancer chuckled and took another sip. "Tell me, Saber, why haven't you become a dragon?" His eyes pierced Siegfried like two golden stakes. "If the magic in Fafnir's blood changed you this much – why not completely?"

"I was thinking about it a lot," Siegfried admitted after a while. What Lancer actually wanted from him? This conversation took an unexpected turn, but it was still nice to talk freely like that and be understood. He suspected that the lord of this castle feels the same. "It's probably because of that leaf on my back. Master and others may think of it as of a weak point, but I'm almost sure that thanks to that mark I didn't turn into an evil dragon. This 'weakness' alone let me remain human."

"So you say that being a human means being weak?"

"Comparing to monsters, yes. But this is also why only humans are capable of defeating monsters. Because the true strength comes from overcoming your own weaknesses."

"Hmmm." Vlad stood up suddenly, a mysterious half-smile was dancing on his lips – or maybe it was only a shadow from a candle? Siegfried wanted to follow, but Lancer gave him a sign to stay on the sofa. "We're much alike, Saber. One step from becoming a monster."

"What do you mean?"

Vlad came closer to the window and stared at the sleeping plains around the castle. In the past they were full of stakes, like a second forest made of impaled enemies of his country. Soon they will look like this once more.

Now the castle surroundings were quiet, too quiet. But the storm is already coming, Lancer was sure about it.

"There's a… particularly ugly legend about me. It associates my humble self with a filthy, bloodsucking monsters, ignoring all my efforts for this country. I would do much more than fighting for the Grail to erase it from collective consciousness."

Siegfried frowned. He knew exactly what legend, popularized by a certain book, Vlad has in mind. It was really strange how the nickname of his ancestors, 'son of a dragon', changed its meaning to 'son of a devil' and then to Dracula, the vampire. Stories has their own rights and people are free to change them with time, adjusting to new reality and beliefs. Still…

"But that legend, too, gives you power?" – Saber asked, pointing out the bright side of Lancer's situation.

"Ah, yes." Vlad chuckled. "Not the kind of power I would want, though. Saber, if you had a choice, would you turn into a monster to gain more power?"

That was a hard, complex question. Siegfried contemplated it for a while, staring at the red liquid in his glass. The wine looked like blood; blood almost turned him into a dragon – and Vlad into a vampire. They were much alike, indeed.

 _But in the end that blood saved someone. Even if it's only one life, it's enough for me._

"I would," he answered eventually. "In order to help someone, I certainly would."

"So did I, when I was still alive." Vlad smiled, but it was a strange, nostalgic, almost sad expression. "And I would rather not try it again. You see, you're a famous hero wherever you show up, Siegfried. For me it's different. In this small country I'm a king and the greatest of heroes. But when I take a single step outside my territory, I'm just a grotesque, bloodsucking monster."

"I see." Siegfried did not find anything evil in this wish so far. If it remains like that, he has no reason to oppose Lancer, unless Gordes will order him otherwise. "Let us hope that we'll be able to remain allies to the very end."

"It's because of this sincerity of yours I respect you so much, Siegfried." Lancer sat back on the sofa. He seemed strangely tired but also more relaxed than before. "Time passes quickly in a good company… It's late already, get some rest."

Saber stood up obediently, thanking for the hospitality with a slight bow of his head.

"One more thing, if I may?" – he asked before leaving. Lancer nodded, ready to hear him out. "I still think that punishing only Rider is not fair. I voluntarily agreed on his plan back then, so I'm also responsible for this mess."

Vlad stared into his glass, pretending to consider Siegfried's proposal.

"Well, if you insist on being punished… a house arrest should be the best for you."

"Oh." That was unexpected. "Sounds fair enough."

"It means also no car racing, Saber. Even in the courtyard."

"Now that's cruel."

"You asked for it."

Understanding each other perfectly, they raised a toast for their refreshed alliance – and newly formed friendship.

* * *

But the walls in the Fortress of Millennia have ears… literally. Since one of the Servants summoned here is a master of animating clay and stones, no wall is thick enough to keep the secrets of others away from him.

Deep inside his underground laboratory, Caster of Black sat comfortably in his chair, thinking what to do with this freshly obtained knowledge.

* * *

For a relatively long time after his arrival to the castle, the miraculously saved homunculus had no idea what's actually happening around him.

Chiron checked on him and confirmed that now the boy will certainly live longer than three months, like previously expected.

"His new form must be developed, his magic mastered," Archer stated with a mysterious expression, utterly frustrating Gordes. "I cannot tell anything more yet."

Ruler came and gone, but the warmness in their hearts after her encouraging words remained. Rider was still kept in the dungeon, to the cruel joy of his Master. However, every time Celenike spent too much time down there, one of the Servants of Black always came in with some strange problem, demanding her attention. Soon she realized that this is only a bluff to keep her away from Astolfo, so she insisted that other Masters should punish their familiars for such shameless plotting. Fiore nodded and did nothing. Gordes yelled at Siegfried as usual, but was too busy to take this 'problem' seriously.

The alchemist had, indeed, a lot of work recently. He arranged his own small laboratory, far from Caster and his experiments (although Avicebron did nothing suspicious since the incident in the woods, it was clear that those two cannot cooperate anymore). No one actually complained, because busy Gordes means calmer Gordes, not to mention that he could invent something useful as a result.

And Saber… Observed them all. Mostly in silence. But he was always nearby when truly needed.

This is why he was first to notice uncertainty in every step of the homunculus, and decided to do something about it.

"Come," he said very early in the morning, appearing in the boy's room without warning. The homunculus already got used to Astolfo sudden materializations, but it was somehow new in case of Siegfried. "I want to show you something."

They walked together up the stairs, almost to the roof of the castle. The wind was stronger here, so the boy could feel the sensation of having it blowing in his face and playing with his hair for the very first time in his short life.

"Here," Siegfried said, looking at the distant horizon. The flaming orb was rising there slowly, bathing the plains in purple and yellow light.

For some reason it brought tears to the boy's eyes. He didn't expect his feelings to be so intense with no logical reason.

"So close I can almost reach it."

"Indeed."

They stayed in silence for a while, enjoying the view together. Soon another companion joined them. The hippogriff, Rider's mount, landed nearby, shrieking loudly and demanding petting. Maybe he was bored alone? Or maybe Astolfo sent him there to guard his friends?

"He likes you." Siegfried smiled and joined the petting competition, but was in a loss position from the beginning. The hippogriff treated the homunculus like a hatchling and tried to groom him using his ridiculously sharp beak. "So... what's troubling you? I cannot guarantee that explaining your problems to me will help, but you should at least feel better."

The boy lowered his head, ashamed that he's causing others so much troubles. Even if Saber said nothing so far, he clearly was worried about his 'pupil'. The homunculus might feel lost in his new situation, bit he should at least be honest and thankful, right?

"I don't know why I've been saved," he said quietly. The Dragon Slayer accepted such simple explanation with a nod, it was rather obvious for him. "I mean… I don't know what is my purpose in life. Who I am? What I'm supposed to do? Living in this world is far more complicated than watching it from the glass tank."

For a moment Siegfried was silent, carefully choosing the right words.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but there's nothing special about it," he said eventually, watching the clouds. "Many people don't know what to do with their lives. Some even don't bother to think about it."

"I understand this much, but… I don't even know what I want."

The smile Saber gave him was somehow distant and sad.

"Believe me or not, but I understand your feelings. I had the same problem long ago. Well, I always knew I want to help people, to see them safe and happy, but I've never realized what I wish for myself. Until it was too late."

"And this is why you've been summoned as a Servant?" Siegfried nodded. "And then shared your blood with me… At least I should try to do something for you in exchange."

"Listen." Saber's voice cut the air; the warrior seemed more serious than before. "Whatever you may think, you don't have to repay for anything. Helping you was a duty of a Heroic Spirit, nothing more. Your life belongs only to you from now on and you ask what to do with it… But no one is allowed to give you instructions. You must choose the answer for yourself."

"You mean find the right answer?"

"No," Siegfried shook his head. "Choose. Because there's no such thing like 'the only one right answer'. And this is exactly why life is so precious – as long as you're alive you have a chance to choose an answer for yourself."

The boy needed some time to devour his words. Another blow of cold wind tangled their hairs - and made the hippogriff's feathers move in all directions – bringing the distant smell of danger.

"I'm sorry, I probably said something strange. I'm not good at giving speeches," Saber explained after a moment of uncomfortable silence. "This is probably the longest one in my entire existence."

"You do apologize a lot." The homunculus stared at him questioningly. "Why is that?"

"Because I'm not proud of many of my past deeds."

"But you're praised as a famous hero… I don't really understand."

"There's a thin line between a hero and a mere butcher. I hope you'll never need to understand." Saber sighed, but then smiled again, feeling that he forgot something. "But more importantly: have you decided already?"

"About what?" The boy blinked, surprised.

"Your name. You're going to live as a human so you need one."

As to confirm Siegfried's words, the hippogriff shouted like an eagle and looked expectantly at the boy.

"I would like to thank you somehow, so…" The homunculus needed to take a deep breath to continue. "Maybe I can use your name?"

Although Saber remained as calm as always, the boy could feel that he doesn't like this idea.

"Don't you think that Rider deserves more praise in this matter?" Siegfried rubbed his forehead, thinking how to explain his intentions. "I would rather wish a different fate for you," he whispered eventually.

"Huh?" To say that this swordsman was full of surprises would be an understatement.

"Maybe people forgot about it already, but in the past a name was more than just a word. Its meaning revealed what parents wished for their child. And I don't think my name is the best option for you."

"Why? What does it mean?"

"You can say that it is a German variation of Norse name Sigurd." Gordes joined them uninvited, almost out of breath after a long climb up the stairs. He glanced suspiciously at the hippogriff, but the beast ignored him completely, demanding more attention from the boy instead (he might be born not so long ago, but he was clearly good at petting magical creatures). "Its meaning is quite different, indeed. The first part is the same in both versions and means 'victory'. In short, the name Siegfried is a hybrid of words 'victory' and 'peace' or 'protection'. Sigurd, however… The meaning of this name depends on how it's written. You may use a word 'guardian' here, or the one that means 'destiny'.

"So, as you can see, my name will make you a slave of the society, of humanity. The second one, though, will make you a slave of fate."

The homunculus frowned, deep in thought.

"What about 'Sieg' then?" Gordes either wanted to help or just to end this fruitless discussion. "Victory alone sounds not so bad."

"But it means that he's going to fight." Siegfried shook his head, not convinced. "And I don't want him to fight."

"Right, he should learn magic instead, it would be a waste to not train those enormous circuits."

Unexpectedly, a quiet laugher interrupted their brainstorm. They both stared questioningly at the boy, so he explained himself with an innocent smile.

"Sorry, but for a moment it felt like having two fathers." He laughed even more, seeing bewildered expressions on their faces. "Rider told me many things about humans, families and stuff." But the smile soon vanished from his face, replaced by something more serious. "Saber, if you really feel uncomfortable with sharing your name with me, I'll choose the name Sigurd. I wonder if Rider will like it. I should go and ask him."

"Yes, you definitely should." Siegfried chuckled in response; it was a soft, pleasant sound, completely different from Gordes' dismissive snorts. The homunculus was still amazed how they could actually understand each other.

 _Humans are complicated. There's still so much to learn about them_ – he thought and walked back to the fortress before the mage managed to enter his choleric mode again.

But the explosion of the alchemist's changing mood didn't come. Gordes only observed the clouds - strangely grey, moving with the wind. Not only the fact that he came here to enjoy the view, but also his behavior were extremely suspicious today.

"Better be ready, Saber," he said all of a sudden. "Our scouts confirmed that the Red Faction will make a move soon. Let us hope that Archer will be back in time, not damaged after his unexpected clash with Saber."

Siegfried did not answer in any way, but tensed visibly. His Master frowned, feeling suddenly cut off from the flow of his emotions.

"What?" Gordes crossed his arms, staring at his Servant.

"I didn't say anything, Master."

"But your face did. What's the problem this time?"

Saber needed a lot of strength to refrain from rolling his eyes.

"Master, you make it sound like there's always some kind of problem with me."

"Don't try my patience!" Command Seals on the mage's hand sparkled dangerously. "Only because I'm in a good mood today doesn't mean that you can talk back to me. Just answer the question!"

 _So this is your 'good mood', really? I need to remember that._ For a moment Siegfried kept petting the hippogriff more aggressively than really needed.

"I thought I should be the one to fight Saber of Red," he admitted at last.

"You forgot about your house arrest already?" Although he did not ask for it, Gordes also felt punished by Vlad's order. Well, he wasn't any less guilty than both Servants, to be honest… "Besides, they departed to deal with Assassin" – the mage accusingly pointed his finger at Siegfried - "and you're not going anywhere outside this territory until he's defeated!"

Siegfried could only nod in silence. For a while they both watched the boy – Sigurd, not the nameless survivor anymore - slowly walking down the stairs. Saber was sure that his pupil is thinking intensively, maybe even too much than he truly should.

"By the way, Master… I'm surprised that you're interested in old languages."

"I'm a well-educated European mage, of course I know runes and old dialects!" Gordes snorted, as always when showing off. "I'm prepared for this war, I even read every single legend and anecdote about you, so don't think you can trick me!"

Saber tried hard not to smile and ruin this moment. It explained many things, from the alchemist's first reaction after the summoning, to his further problems with keeping his bad temper in check.

 _Being someone's first choice is always a nice feeling, though_. And another reason for Siegfried to give all he's got in the war, which was coming like a raging tornado.

 _But, even as mighty as dragons are, could they withstand every storm?_

* * *

"Damn! Why this modern horse is so slow, Masteeeeer?!"

"I told you already, this is not a horse, Saber!" Kairi was strangely pale and desperately tried to hold on to something – anything! - within his reach. It looked like this all the way to Trifas - the necromancer was truly glad that it will be over soon. "If this is 'slow' for you, I really don't want to know how 'fast' looks like! Can you explain to me why we're in such hurry?"

"Because I'm not going to let them start without me, of course!"

Mordred was more than prepared for the upcoming battles. What was the Black Faction even thinking – they sent a mere Archer to fight her, really?! Their Saber must be a coward to hide in the fortress all the time and let the others do his job. If so, kicking his ass will be a piece of cake. How disappointing…

"Ready or not… here I come!"

* * *

Dear Readers, You already chose a new name for the homunculus, so I had no choice but to accept Your wish. ;)

A lot of talking in this one, sorry. But Mordred finally arrived and the real war will start in the next chapter.

Also, I really wanted Vlad and Siegfried to have a long, nice chatter. So it's like a present from me to me, I guess. Call it 'fan service' if You want. I hope I didn't bore You to death.

About meanings of names and old languages – linguistics is one of my passions, I must admit, but do not expect every info here to be 100% true. Fiction has its own rights, after all.

Will be nice to know what You think… See You next time!


	5. Fire and Lightning

**5: Fire and Lightning**

 _"I see." His voice was disturbingly calm, like he was telling obvious truths. "So I just need to defeat you first."_

* * *

The last thing Astolfo expected to hear after leaving the dungeon was a loud explosion in the courtyard. The rest of the castle residents must have been as surprised as the small paladin, because they all rushed there, fully armed, sure that the fortress is under attack.

What actually happened there was weirder than any enemy raid. They found the saved homunculus on the ground, coughing painfully. A thick veil of dust and broken stones around was enough for a proof that the boy was fighting… And he evidently lost. Someone must have thrown him on the wall (it was clearly a miracle that no one has been badly hurt yet!).

That 'someone' was standing in the centre of this mess, staring at the tip of his giant sword, so embarrassed that he wanted to sink into the ground.

"He asked me to train him," Siegfried shrugged, feeling the weight of expectant gazes on his back.

"Train him, not KILL him!" Rider gently helped Sigurd get up.

"It's better this way. Enemies won't be kind to him just because he's small and weak. He must be prepared for pain and brute force. Overconfidence is worse than few bruises."

"Yeeeeah," Astolfo murmured, not convinced. Just one glance at Saber was enough for him to tell that the guy is not as calm as usual. Was it irritation? Or anger? Maybe some kind of disappointment?

 _Most likely,_ Rider thought eventually, _Saber is just worried about his pupil_.

"It's fine." The homunculus said, wiping the dust off his face. There was something strange in his eyes, a deep-hidden flame of resolve and unexpected stubbornness. "Saber's right. I will never become stronger if you keep treating me like a child."

"Oh?" Vlad smiled, visibly amused. "That's a bold thing to say for a youngling like you." He ordered Siegfried to proceed with the training. "If you don't mind, Saber, show me what the boy has learned so far."

The Dragon Slayer only nodded and prepared to battle. Sigurd grabbed the sword and answered to his ridiculously strong attacks the best he could. It was obvious that he has no chance of winning, but at least his reactions were quite good.

"You have some potential, young man." A weapon materialized suddenly in Lancer's hand. "But our Saber here fights using mostly strength your small body cannot possess. I will teach you how to move more swiftly, adequately to your built."

"And I can show you some self-defense tricks." Chiron smiled like someone who had already made up his mind and nothing on earth can change his decision.

"Stop with this madness, all of you!" Gordes, late like always, stood between them, clearly intending to shield the boy with his huge body. "He's going to be a great magician, he doesn't need your lessons!"

"Hey, don't dare to decide for him, Master of Saber!" Astolfo crossed his arms. "You're not even his guardian!"

"But I…" Sigurd did not really understand what's happening around him, when the three Servants and the alchemist began a fierce exchange of thoughts. He glanced at Saber, asking for his opinion and help.

But Siegfried said nothing, only patted his pupil's head and dematerialized before his Master decides to do something utterly stupid. For homunculus, who understood this calm warrior better than anyone, it was more than enough. Saber was proud of him and that alone was worth the effort Sigurd puts into training.

The verbal fight continued and the boy wondered if he should leave, just like Siegfried did a moment ago, when he suddenly felt that someone's hand firmly grasped his arm.

"You should think better of yourself," said Toole with her usual, emotionless expression. "If not for your own sake, then to honor your teacher. Maybe you do not realize this yet, but you two are much alike. No doubt your existence is very special."

"I am by no means special."

"Yes, you are. Because three famous heroes and a mage are now arguing about your future."

Sigurd glanced at the commotion right in front of him and found no arguments against Toole's simple statement. He didn't feel special, just the opposite. It was barely his own will that let him stay alive this long.

"I'm not…" – he tried to protest anyway, but Toole cut off his pitiful excuses without mercy.

"Yes you are, at least to us. You are our example to follow, a proof that we can be more than just puppets. Never forget how much it means to us."

And she left, giving the boy no time to react.

"Forgive me for interrupting, but the enemy has finally moved out" – said a strange, muffled voice. Caster materialized from one of the walls and looked at the evening sky, which was slowly turning purple. "Their flying fortress had been spotted. No Servants on sight yet, but they released a skeleton army."

Even Darnic, more vampiric than his own Servant, flew down from one of the windows. He smiled, not even trying to hide his excitement.

"So it's begins."

* * *

Vlad was indeed a charismatic leader. His last speech before the battle worked perfectly, giving Servants of Black more energy than a Command Spell or even a direct connection to the Grail. They could almost feel wings growing suddenly on their backs...

It was quite misleading, though, because complicated things shrunk to only one flat dimension, lost other meanings. With his charming words, Lancer created a new simple reality, in which the Red Faction played the invaders, 'the bad guys'. Opposing them in defense of the rightfully claimed territory was a duty of a soldier, the only right course of action.

But the Holy Grail War never worked like that, and this particular one seemed even worse. Siegfried glanced down, at their army of golems and artificial warriors, waiting for a signal to march forward. He could still hear Toole's voice from some time ago, when he and Astolfo shared their doubts about Servants' right to use energy from homunculi in battle.

 _"_ _You have no choice."_

 _Toole shook her head._

 _"_ _We made one. We all agreed to support you."_

 _"_ _But you may die if we go all out…"_

 _"_ _This is war," she explained with a stern expression. "It's true that we didn't ask for it, but you know that countless people through ages were in the same situation. Even seemingly powerless women and children supported the army, sometimes at the cost of their own lives."_

 _"_ _But…"_

 _"_ _Just end this war quickly. We're counting on you." She smiled, this time no mockingly. "You're our heroes, after all."_

Saber took a deep breath, trying to clear his mind before the fight. There was no place for mistakes, too many lives depended on disposition of only few Servants. Even Gordes focused in the privacy of his room and fell silent to not disturb his familiar in such important moment.

"You know what to do," Vlad said for the last time, raising his weapon and ordering his fearless mount to jump from the castle walls. "Go!"

Both Berserker and Saber followed their leader on the ground and a loud shriek of the hippogriff was a sign that Rider watches them from above. Their small formation didn't last for long – Frankenstein was first to follow her fighting instinct and strayed away as soon as she spotted the enemy. Rider left them next, because strange flying monsters surrounded him when he got too close to the fortress of the Red Fraction. According to their very first plan, only Siegfried remained to guard Lancer when they finally clashed with the army of skeletons.

This smell, the ancient vibe in the air around them… it all seemed too familiar for Saber.

"Dragons," he whispered and effortlessly sent a wave of blue energy from the tip of his sword. The horde of skeletons turned to dust in an instant. It was just too easy.

"Impressive," Vlad said, smiling meaningfully, and Siegfried thanked him with a nod. "Hope it does not consume too much energy."

"It's nothing. I know my full strength will be needed elsewhere."

"Good." Lancer briefly looked around and confirmed positions of his other commanders. "Everything is under control so far, so we can split up. I will neutralize their Archer, so she won't cause you unnecessary problems. And you…."

"Yes, Rider."

Their decided already that Chiron will be the one to face his former pupil in battle, but first his superfast chariot must be stopped. Caster's knowledge should be helpful here, but if he fails… Of all other Servants of Black only Saber had enough power to stop Achilles in a relatively safe, painless way.

They needed to take care of this problem quickly, because Rider of Red has been already causing mass destruction in their ranks. And if somehow he bumps into their little flying paladin…

Siegfried shook his head, not even wanting to think about it. He respected Astolfo's will and abilities, but they all knew that his always cheerful friend is no match for Achilles if they meet on the battlefield. He was about to depart to stop the enemy Rider from massacring homunculi, but something made him freeze right where he stood.

He recognized this powerful aura, sincere and fierce like raging flames. The sole memory of their last encounter sent shivers down Saber's spine.

And now his hands were shaking for real, when he blocked that ridiculously giant spear, aimed at Vlad's head.

Lancer of Red seemed pleased by Siegfried's reaction and jumped back with his usual grace. Something similar to a smile formed on his lips when he said:

"So we meet again, Saber of Black."

"Ah, just like you said before - it was inevitable."

"Are you ready then? To fight to the fullest, as we promised?"

"Forgive me for interrupting," Vlad said calmly, but red flames in his eyes were enough to tell how excited he is to finally meet an interesting opponent. "But Saber here is currently under my command. If you have any unfinished matters with him, you need to wait until he's released from my service."

Lancer of Red glanced questioningly at Siegfried, who only nodded to confirm the words of their faction's leader. Karna immediately turned to Vlad.

"I see." His voice was disturbingly calm, like he was telling obvious truths. "So I just need to defeat you first."

"Oh?" Vlad couldn't decipher the other Lancer, not sure if he's bold or just honest. Second option seemed equally terrifying and amusing to him. "It won't be easy. I won't bow before any ordinary Heroic Spirit."

"We'll see."

Karna greeted Siegfried with a slight movement of his head. Saber returned the gesture and departed to where he was needed the most.

Behind his back the battlefield was already burning.

* * *

Sigurd couldn't just sit and wait while everyone else was fighting.

He still could feel a distant echo of the connection to his kin (although faintly, because some new, terrifying kind of energy was blocking it), so the scale of mortality hit him hard. There was even a moment when an entire squad of homunculi had been wiped out before they even noticed the danger. It must have been a work of a Servant, no doubt about it.

For some time the boy tried hard to help the wounded, but he couldn't really focus. Something in his blood craved for battle, like if the distant smell of smoke and flesh awakened a silent predator deep within his body.

Such bloodlust! He has never experienced it before. Was it Siegfried's influence – maybe every warrior felt like this in face of his enemy? Or something else, far more destructive?

Sigurd shook his head, trying to focus on his current task and bandage his wounded companion properly, but it was hopeless. His thoughts came back to the plains, that were shaking under power of released Noble Phantasms and absorbed greedily the crimson offering of blood.

And then he saw something unbelievable in the distance – with a painful cry Astolfo was limply falling down from the sky, like a rag-doll abandoned by a bored child and brutally thrown to the ground.

The homunculus froze in shock. What happened? Is hippogriff all right? Is Saber nearby to save Rider or he's busy elsewhere? Or maybe Rider had been critically wounded?

Grasping his training sword with silent determination, the boy started to run. If there's something he can do…

Sigurd would never forgive himself if he didn't try. What's more, deep inside he knew Saber would not be pleased if the boy would stay away from the battle, just like he promised.

Toole was right, after all – they were more alike than anyone could imagine.

* * *

During her chase after the strange man from her vision, Jeanne found herself surrounded by an army of skeletons. But even before she managed to decide which ones she should strike first, they were destroyed by a wave of cold, blue light.

"I'm not a damsel in distress, Saber!" She frowned, a bit annoyed by the intrusion, but also glad that Siegfried has the situation under control.

"That's great, because I'm in a hurry." Indeed, he didn't stop, even for a moment, just passed her by with a cheerful wink. "By the way, Ruler… would it be too much to ask you where both Berserkers are? I don't want to bump into them by accident, that's all."

"I cannot detect any of them nearby, only Saber of Red…"

"Thank you!" Another horde of dragon tooth warriors was destroyed by the power of Balmung. "Take care, Jeanne!"

"A-all right." She observed the other Servant for a moment, not knowing what to think about his strange behavior. "You too, Saber of Black!"

Siegfried smiled to himself and ran even faster to finally challenge that small but brutal warrior of the enemy faction. His role was to keep the fragile balance on the battlefield and even his Master agreed that the other swordsman can easily turn everything into total chaos.

"Be careful, Saber," Gordes grunted mentally and it was probably the kindest sentence he's ever said to his familiar. Although the alchemist would never admit it, Siegfried felt these emotions through their – finally! – well-functioning bond.

"I will, Master."

* * *

Frankenstein couldn't really remember what had distracted her this much. First she was fighting with that priest and tried to pursue her prey through the woods, but a strange man with a book appeared. He must have been a Caster to do such scary things to her.

Then her Master - her good, caring Master - saved the day. It hurt so much, but his calm voice, strengthened with magic, took the pain away. She was grateful and tried hard to be a good Servant. So when Master ordered her to go where two Lancers are fighting and keep an eye of Archer of Red, she ran as fast as she could.

That cat-woman with her deadly bow! Berserker still remembered how an arrow hit her leg. She growled angrily and sped up, casually destroying skeletons on her way and feeding on their energy.

Archer of Red indeed tried to help Karna, or at least to guard his back. Vlad kept nonchalantly deflecting her arrows, as if they couldn't really hurt him, but every moment of distraction could end with a nasty wound. Messing like this with someone else's duel is just not fair, right?

With a growl Frankenstein charged forward, bursting out electrified energy like a small, angry engine.

"You again?" Atalanta frowned, visibly displeased. She jumped back just in time to avoid a powerful strike, but still some sparkles reached her, singeing hair and tip of her tail. Archer knew well that fighting a Berserker on the open field is dangerous, even for someone with her catlike agility and speed. "Lancer, I'm afraid I cannot support you anymore."

"It's all right." Karna only glanced at the commotion while dodging another wave of Vlad's stakes, too busy to do anything else. "Just lure Berserker away, if you can."

"Understood."

Archer of Red ran and Berserker of Black went after her. Atalanta quickly realized that she's at disadvantage here, so she decided to perform a dangerous maneuver. She turned around suddenly, sliding on the ground, wet from freshly spilled blood, and released many arrows at once to end this ridiculous chase in one strike.

Any bigger target, like Spartacus or golems, would be already immobilized or full of bleeding holes. But Frankenstein just released another portion of energy from her weapon and neutralized the missiles before they could even reach her.

"This is bad," Atalanta hissed through clenched teeth. Such tactic will lead her nowhere. Usually the easiest way to defeat a Berserker is to exhaust him – or rather his Master – but it seemed that this Servant could burst out mana continuously without rest. "In this case…"

She shot another portion of arrows towards Berserker, targeting mostly her legs. It wasn't important if they miss or not – the main reason of this attack was to slow Frankenstein down just a bit to prepare something far more powerful.

"This is an offering to the two Gods", Archer recited, sending a stream of energy straight up to the sky. "Phoebus Catastrophe!"

Fran looked up at the blinding rain of arrows. She did not try to run away or dodge, only shouted angrily and swung her weapon…

In his room in the Yggdmillennia castle Caules clenched his fists, waiting in tensed silence. Two Noble Phantasms collided with terrible burst of light, whirling for a moment in the air, trying to swallow one another, then vanished with a rain of sparkles and fading mana.

Atalanta, angry that she has run out of options to defeat this annoying adversary, winced and ran to the forest. Berserker was about to follow her, but Caules stop her in mid-motion.

"Wait!" - he commanded, calmly yet decisively. "Don't go after Archer, in the forest she will shoot you from hiding."

Frankenstein growled but obeyed.

"Uuuu?" What should I do then, Master?

What, indeed? Caules needed a moment to think of it. Vlad would definitely use support, he was facing a terrifying enemy, but… Could Berserker really help him? Most likely not, she would be only a nuisance, not to mention that it was dangerous for her to get too close to fighting Lancers. She was also no match for Achilles and would only hinder Chiron during such difficult duel. Saber would gain the most from her assistance, but he had everything under control for now.

No, Frankenstein should rather wait on standby and show up on the battlefield where and when she'll be needed the most.

"Go back to the castle," Caules decided eventually. "Too many skeletons broke through, we need to strengthen the defense." After a moment he added: "You did well, Berserker. Good job."

"Uuu!" Fran smiled widely and ran to her good, caring Master as fast as she could.

* * *

Astolfo thought that his problems ended definitely when a tip of a sword touched his throat after a short duel with Saber of Red. Staring death in the eye, he was ready to say goodbye to the world.

But it was only the beginning of serious troubles.

"Hold it!"

The armored swordsman turned around to face the one who dared to interrupt their duel. To her surprise it was a boy - no, a homunculus! – with a training sword in his shaking hands.

"Your opponent is me!" – he claimed boldly, trying to sound as brave as possible in this preposterous situation.

Astolfo's face literally lost all colors when the paladin realized what's happening. Sigurd not only did not listen to their requests and joined the fight totally unprepared, but also drew attention of one of the most powerful Servants currently present on the battlefield.

Rider screamed mentally in panic. He's been saved for a while, yes, but everything about it was wrong! What was Sigurd even thinking to provoke the enemy like that!

Putting everything he had into this last desperate action, the paladin somehow managed to block Saber's sword centimeters above Sigurd's head. He could feel his knees and arms shaking, which made him wonder how it's even possible that this petite girl is so strong.

"What are you doing? Get out of here, now!" Astolfo shouted desperately to his homunculi friend. He looked like he's going to break under the pressure of the red bursting sword. "I did not save you to watch you die just a few days later!"

"My thoughts exactly!" – someone said behind their backs and a strange sound of condensed mana invaded their ears.

"Huh?" Saber of Red did not want to risk being hit by an unknown weapon and jumped back, freeing Astolfo and Sigurd from her merciless grip.

This was what Siegfried wanted. He took position between the enemy and his friends, shielding them from danger.

"Are you two all right? – he asked, but did not let himself look at them, focused on the heavy armored Saber before him. "Sigurd, can you tell me what's gotten into you?"

"Rider was in danger and I needed to help him," the boy replied without hesitation or guilt. The simplicity of this statement must have touched deeply all Heroic Spirits who had heard it, even if they did not show it in any way.

"I see. I guess it can't be helped," Siegfried commented quietly and frowned, staring intensively at the other swordsman in search of potential clues or weaknesses. He was sure that the enemy Servant is doing exactly the same thing right now. "We meet at last, Saber of Red."

"Ha! Because you've finally crawled out of your mouse hole!" The armored warrior nonchalantly lowered her sword in a disrespectful, almost offensive manner. "I thought you'll keep hiding from the battle forever!"

"I wasn't hidin…" Siegfried sighed, feeling that the insult somehow affected him more than it should. Was it because he's been kept away from fights for so long? Or maybe this fierce swordsman had more charisma than anyone could expect?

He didn't feel particularly insulted, though. It was just a battle tactic, one of many possible ways to gain the upper hand in a duel. And, along with his short reunion with Lancer of Red, it made his blood boil with excitement.

"Did you forget why we've been summoned? You even got yourself a pet." Seeing that her verbal attacks hit the spot, Mordred tried to provoke Siegfried more. In the meantime she asked her Master for help in finding clues regarding her enemy's identity. But the only answer she got was: 'You're doing great, keep working hard and you'll find out for sure!'.

"Now you call him a pet?" Spontaneously, Siegfried decided to play this little game a bit. "Just a moment ago I saw you two fighting, like equals. Or you want tell me you're just a bully who attacks the weaklings?" He provocatively tilted his head. "Let me guess: you were some knight of low status, used to suppress rebellions and pacify commoners?"

"Tch." Mordred frowned and raised her sword again. There was nothing she could say to not be a villain in the other Saber's story. Even Kairi chuckled at the boldness of that insult, enraging his short-tempered Servant even more. "And if I cut you to pieces it would mean that you're just a commoner who pretends to be a knight?!"

"Nice theory. We can discuss it if you want."

"Naaaaah, I have enough! Come, let the swords speak!"

'Oh? Tired already?' – she could hear her Master asking with pretended astonishment. 'So this is as far as you can go with searching for clues?'

'If I free his wretched head from his miserable shoulders, I won't be needing any clues.'

'What are you – a butcher?'

'Does such Servant class event exist, Master?'

Siegfried did not need further invitation; he firmly grabbed Balmung's hilt and glanced at Rider, showing him that it's about time to evacuate.

"Come!" Astolfo understood this warning and forcefully grabbed Sigurd's hand. "We should not stay too close, it's not wise to be around when two Sabers go all out!"

The boy nodded mechanically, but couldn't take his eyes off this violent and surprisingly beautiful spectacle.

* * *

Everything was going according to Avicebron's plan. He stayed in the castle with no one to control him, far from the heart of conflict.

Most importantly, he was left in charge of captured Berserker of Red.

It was a good time to release the rebellious giant, even Chiron would have agreed to that. Vlad clearly needed a helping hand with the other Lancer, who turned out to be a terrifying adversary. Archer of Red was fast and ferocious, every mistake could be fatal for Frankenstein. Caster did not know where both Sabers are, but he was sure that warriors as matched as those two would need hours to resolve their conflict.

Putting a new pawn on the chessboard could turn the situation upside down in an instant. But Caster had other plans: he needed Berserker's strength, or rather his destructive power, elsewhere. Adding golems to their faction's army was all he could sacrifice in the way to achieve his goal. He was already tired of pretending to be a part of the team.

Now, when all Servants were busy, engaged in one-on-one duels, the enemy leader will surely make a move. Their flying fortress was getting closer to the castle with every second, but foolish Yggdmillennia mages did not notice the danger, too focused on their familiars.

In this case, Avicebron needs only to keep an eye on a certain mage of Black. His little clay spies will show him the right moment to strike.

* * *

Thank You for all comments and support! I read everything even if I cannot answer!

I must confess that writing Mordred is hard for me – she was so cool in the anime that I fear I'm doing everything wrong. Hope You forgive me for leaving the fight of two Sabers for the next chapter.


	6. Roaring Dragons

**6: Roaring Dragons**

 _Easy, easy. It's just pain. I may not have a dragon skin, but I do have a heart of a dragon!_

* * *

"Hey, she threw you!" Gordes was truly shocked. Even that monstrous Lancer from before did not manage to do something like that. "Don't tell me you let her," he added suspiciously.

"No, I didn't. I'm going all out." It was true. Siegfried waited for long to finally challenge the other Saber, so he had no reason to hold back. "This Servant can probably fight any other and win," he admitted with admiration. "But I have a meaningful advantage against her."

"What do you mean?"

"Can't you hear it, Master? How Balmung sings?"

A sudden wave of confusion came through their bond. Saber let Gordes think about it for a while and smiled, when he felt a burst of understanding and satisfaction.

"I see. That's… interesting."

Even if Siegfried wanted to add something, he had no chance to do so, pushed back by the raw power of the attacking Servant.

"That was stronger than before," he noticed and chuckled internally. Now he couldn't rely only on his dragon skin, but needed all his skills to keep his opponent at bay.

It felt truly wonderful.

"A Command Spell?" Gordes asked quickly; he seemed absorbed in their fight as if he was a swordsman himself.

"Probably. And a wasted one."

The mage snorted, not impressed.

"It's their problem, not ours."

"Exactly, Master."

"Damn, you…!" Mordred was truly pissed off. She was generally angry often, but this time she started bursting out red mana without restraints. She never expected to meet here someone as skillful as her former companions of the Round Table. "Why won't you die already?"

Siegfried did not answer, just parried another impossible blow. Even if he kept prolonging this duel for his own satisfaction, he felt that the other Saber deserved it.

* * *

"Rider, why are we running?"

Sigurd was catching the air with short, painful breaths. Thanks to trainings sessions with Saber he was far stronger than after leaving the tank, but keeping up the pace with a Servant for this long was still too much for him.

"Because it's dangerous here!" Astolfo did not intend to slow down. He was holding Sigurd's hand the entire way, literally pulling him behind. "We must hide you in the fortress."

"But what's the point if I already can't breathe?" The boy cut off, with his nose squashed on Rider's back. He didn't expect his companion to stop so suddenly. "Ouch. What's wrong?"

Astolfo didn't answer for a surprisingly long moment, only tensed so much Sigurd could feel it through the clothes.

"Don't look," the Servant said eventually, sounding grimly and… angrily? No, it wasn't that. The boy had seen Rider angry before, but this was rather something like a cold rage.

Feeling guilty for not listening to Astolfo's request, Sigurd looked around… and almost shouted from fear and disgust.

The field before them was wet from blood. Many homunculi corpses were laying around in strange, gruesome poses. Their hearts had been ripped off, fear and pain stuck to their pale faces. Whoever was responsible for their deaths, made them as agonizing and terrible as possible.

"Who could have done such a thing?"

"Looks like Assassin's doing. It's…"

Astolfo wanted to say more, but he detected something suspicious and shielded the boy with his own body. Although it took him longer, Sigurd could feel it too – an ominous presence in the shadows, full of murderous intent.

The fact, that the mysterious intruder sniffed them like a hunting canine, seemed even more disturbing.

"Oh? That's a good one! I'm not hungry anymore, but mother will be happy if I bring something for later!"

The voice was surprisingly cheerful and squeaky, like if it belonged to a child. When the mysterious entity finally showed itself, Sigurd understood, why was that.

 _So Assassin of Black, who made Gordes so unrest recently, is just a cute, little girl?_

Only at first glance. A dagger in her hand, and a stain of blood on her cheek, ruined the general image for Sigurd.

It also explained why his heart was beating like crazy. He already knew the taste of fear, but this… was different. Something wild and unpredictable deep inside him demanded to be awakened.

Assassin smiled and stared intensively at her prey. The mix of innocence and cold ruthlessness in this gaze was terrifying.

"I have no reason to fight you yet, Rider of Black, so… would you just step back and let me take him?" - she asked, tilting her head.

Sigurd didn't know what to think about it. He was not an expert, but – at least judging from everything Astolfo had told him about humans – children shouldn't behave like that, right?

"I refuse." Rider sounded more serious than ever. He materialized his lance, ready to defend the boy. "If you want him, you must kill me first, Assassin."

"As you wish."

She attacked without warning, fast like a smudge of purple light. Metal clashed with metal and the creepy girl soared in the air above Astolfo's head for a second, sniffing him again.

"So you're not a woman, huh? Too bad…" Although Assassin seemed disappointed at first, this feeling was quickly replaced by a twisted joy. "It doesn't matter anyway. Weak as you are now, you do not stand a chance against me!"

"Are you so sure about this?" Rider narrowed his eyes and pushed her back with all his remaining strength. He withstood bravely some ferocious attacks of Saber of Red before, so he wasn't afraid of Assassin, who had lost the advantage of a surprise attack. She was fast, yes, but Astolfo suspected he could still defeat her, if he put some effort into this fight.

Sadly, a sudden intervention of his Master forced the brave paladin to reconsider his plans.

"Rider, stop wasting time and get back here. We're under attack."

"Master, can't you see I'm a little busy here?"

"This is an order, Rider." Celenike's rage resonated in the deepest tones of her voice. "Come back to me immediately or I'll use a Command Spell on you."

"I refuse!" - Astolfo claimed desperately, blocking Assassin's daggers with his lance. He couldn't fight on two fronts now. "I was asked to bring him to safety, I won't leave him!"

"And now your Master orders you to come back. With a power of a Command Spell!"

Rider winced, when a wave of pain ran through his core, forcing him to dematerialize. One of his Noble Phantasms was blocking the magic, but it didn't last long. He was so exhausted after other fights…

"Run, Sigurd! She's too much for you! I'm sorry I couldn't…"

When Rider disappeared at last, only a mist of vanishing magic remained between Assassin an her prey.

"Did he say 'run'?" She laughed again, but her eyes were shining with bloodlust. "You don't think I'll let you, do you?"

Having no other choice, Sigurd grabbed his sword and prepared for battle.

* * *

After another failed attack, Lancer of Black realized he'd been trusting too much in his own strength.

Until now he was sure that no one could even get close to his level, here, in his homeland and ultimate dominion. Yet this strange Servant of Red was keeping up with Vlad with upsetting ease.

At first Karna was mostly dodging, testing his opponent and learning as much as he could about his powers. But when the time for counterattack finally came, Vlad understood he needs to tread carefully. His stakes ended up cut to pieces, burnt or just wiped off by unexpectedly strong mana bursts.

In some mythologies sunlight, fire and lightning are all parts of the same force, and Lancer of Red seemed to incarnate them all.

"I must admit that you are not an ordinary Heroic Spirit," Vlad said during one of the few breaks in their fierce duel. There was something he needed to know before they kill each other. "Can you tell me then, why do you respect our Saber so much?"

It was a question he wanted to ask for some time already. Vlad knew that Siegfried was strong, but never considered him a real threat, at least not when the entire realm was on its king's side. Saber couldn't even scratch this weird, white-skinned warrior, while Vlad's stakes simply ignored his supernatural armor, which made the gap in strength between the two even more obvious…

He could easily prove his superiority through facts and logic, yet Lancer of Red remained fixated on the idea of facing Saber again. If he just wanted to defeat a strong enemy in battle, he should chose the leader of the Black Faction, right?

So why didn't he? Was it because Vlad materialized more as a ruler than a warrior? Wasn't it enough to bring Lancer of Red down?

Karna did not need much time to formulate an answer.

"Because he stands against me as a single man, despite his burdens and doubts. Just a warrior, determined to perform his duty. And something in his eyes reminds me of another great hero I used to know." He tilted his head, reading his opponent like an open book. "You, however, are the king, who carries the wishes of his subjects with him… No, rather the entire country." His earrings clattered quietly, when he shook his head. "But I don't mind fighting the entire country."

Vlad narrowed his eyes, thinking of what he'd just heard. That was it? Really? Lancer of Red didn't look like a notorious liar, but such trivial reason was still hard to believe.

Although Vlad asked his question out of sheer curiosity, now he could feel a flame of rage raising slowly inside him. Being reprimanded by your opponent is never a nice feeling, but… If what the other Servant said was true, Vlad lacked something, as a leader, a hero or as a Heroic Spirit in general. It seemed that he made a serious mistake somewhere, but couldn't yet identify it, and that enraged him more than Lancer's harsh but true words.

"Fascinating! Truly splendid, as expected from my enemy!" His eyes were burning, when he reached out his hand to pierce the spearman with a tsunami of stakes. "Now I want to defeat you even more!"

"I won't let you," Lancer of Red replied flatly, raising his weapon above his head. He clearly had enough of the prolonging battle, so he decided to get serious. "Brahma…!"

The flames died suddenly, when he stopped the activation of his Noble Phantasm and stepped back.

"I would gladly finish this, but an order is an order." He looked at his opponent with a disturbing dose of compassion, like he knew more than he dared to say. "Maybe next time you shouldn't interrupt and let me fight Saber instead? It doesn't really matter to me, but you have some time to consider this… and other things."

With those words, he dematerialized obediently before Vlad managed to reach him.

The leader of the Black Faction gritted his teeth in anger. What a cocky behavior! What an unbelievable arrogance! But even Vlad reluctantly admitted to himself that there were some real skills and strength behind all that bragging…

He also suspected that only something really important would make the other Lancer so shamelessly retreat.

Darnic explained Vlad the reason in few short sentences, making his blood boil again.

"What?! How dare they?!"

The elegant Lancer mounted his warhorse and ordered the Servants of Black to gather around him. He had no time for stupid doubts, when there was a fortress to invade.

* * *

 _Am I going to die here?_

Sigurd was breathing heavily, surrounded by a thick mist. He understood that Assassin was only playing with him, like a cat with a trapped mouse, to prey on his fear and laugh at his pitiful efforts to stay alive.

It was already over. Saber and Rider wasted their wishes on him, the others wasted their precious time, trying to teach him things he'll never be able to do. He felt so weak and guilty for not meeting their expectations.

Overwhelmed by a sudden panic attack, the boy noticed that he was literally walking on corpses. Surprisingly, that realization did not scare Sigurd further - rather sobered him instantly.

They did not deserve such end. The fact, that the homunculi were treated like a mere cannon fodder, was unfair enough. But at least some of them decided to fight willingly, so they should die like warriors, not like… this.

 _No, the right question is: am I going to let her walk around and kill people?_

Toole told him his existence is special, so now was the time to prove it. Powered by anger and irritation, the boy finally regained the control over his shaking knees, started to think logically and plan his next actions.

Flash from the left. Then flash from the right. His eyes couldn't detect the danger on time, and Assassin's creepy laughter, which echoed from every direction, kept disorientating him further.

The boy tripped over a corpse and fell, but gritted his teeth and immediately got back to his feet, more angry than frightened. He took a deep breath and tried to focus again, remembering Saber's words from one of their lessons.

 _'It's not wrong to feel anger, but it's wrong to act in anger. Try to convert your fury into strength and use it against your enemy. If you cannot do this, your own emotions will, sooner or later, turn against you.'_

"Are you done already? Hurry up and die, die, die!"

One of the blades hit Sigurd in the forehead. He blinked, when the hot blood poured into his eyes.

 _One foot forward, keeping the balance. Good. She won't be able to knock me down again._

Another three strikes from different directions, then awful sounds of torn flesh.

 _Easy, easy. It's just pain. I may not have a dragon skin, but I do have a heart of a dragon!_

A wave of calmness sharpened his senses. Sigurd began to notice tiny details, like movements of the wind or a predatory look behind his back. This was it! This was what Saber told him about the warrior's instinct.

His body moved without the control of mind. Something tinkled and sparkled. He finally managed to block her daggers!

Assassin wasn't laughing anymore. After disbanding the mist, she landed on the ground few meters from the boy and stared at him. Sigurd wondered how so much hate can fit into such a small body.

"I don't like you," she said coldly, playing with her daggers. "I'll cut you to pieces."

A small part of him pitied this girl, who looked more like a lost child than a Servant. He suspected, that there's a tragic story behind her current state.

But the other part, that wild beast in his blood, didn't care in the slightest. It detected an enemy and just wanted to annihilate it.

 _Tear apart. Burn. Feast on her flesh!_

"You may try," Sigurd almost snarled at her. No, 'roared' would be a better word to describe this awful sound.

Something felt odd. His circuits were burning and emitted a strange, green light.

"This smell..." Assassin jumped back and took a defensive position from the first time since the beginning of their fight. "Weird. Weird! Weeeeeird! I don't want you anymore!"

The girl panicked. She just turned around and disappeared in the shadows.

Sigurd thought that it was hard to blame her – he was frightened as well. He dropped the sword and fell where he stood, totally exhausted.

"What was that? What have I become?"

Sitting on the cold ground and struggling to catch a breath, the boy tried to understand, what had actually happened.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield, two smudges of draconic energy were so busy with wiping out the surroundings, that they forgot about the rest of the world.

Even Gordes couldn't say what was actually going on. The fight might not be as intense and stunning as the one with Lancer of Red, but seemed far more brutal. The ground was shaking under their feet and rocks were flying around, casually cut into pieces, when they got in the way.

Saber of Red behaved like a wild beast. She kicked the Dragon Slayer several times and almost broke his forearm. He repaid for it with few shallow cuts, when he finally managed to destroy parts of her armor. His usual tactic of methodically pushing forward, slowly but steadily, didn't work against Mordred, so Gordes had a rare occasion to witness the more dynamic side of his Servant's fighting style.

"Damn, you're a tough one." Saber of Red jumped back eventually; a bit of admiration sounded in her voice. "You really piss me off, so my Master gave me permission to end this in one hit."

She disposed of her helmet and grabbed the sword with both hands. The red energy gathered around the blade with a dreadful noise.

"Don't." Siegfried had no choice but to prepare his own Noble Phantasm, although he felt it wasn't the right moment for it. Not yet.

"Why?" She laughed mockingly, provoking him again. "Are you afraid? Then just stay still and let my Clarent burn you quickly."

The other Saber remained silent. He wasn't afraid, Mordred could see it in his focused, cold gaze… and that made her hesitate.

Their Masters were nervous as well, Gordes even tried to intervene.

"Are you sure…" – he started, but something disrupted the connection. Only a powerful outburst of magic could interfere with their bond like this. "What in the hell?!"

"What's wrong, Master?"

"We're under attack! They… stole the Grail!"

The alchemist was ranting about it for a while, describing their current situation in more or less detailed way. Siegfried could barely hear him, focused on the other Saber and the raging hurricane of red she was about to unleash.

"Master, should I return to your side?"

"No, wait. We have both Berserkers and Rider here, so don't. Go with the rest after the Grail."

 _Easier said than done_ , Siegfried thought, glancing at Mordred, bathed in the red light from her deadly sword. _No one can turn his back to a raging dragon and live to tell the story_.

"Is Sigurd with you?"

His Master was silent for a disturbingly long moment, worrying the Dragon Slayer even more.

"I… let me take care of this."

Having no other choice, Siegfried silently agreed.

"Prepare, Saber of Black! Or you going to hide again in your mouse hole?"

Mordred's Noble Phantasm was ready, but Siegfried only sighed in response. His enthusiasm was suddenly gone.

"Now it makes sense," he said bitterly. "So this was your plan for the very beginning, huh?"

Something in his voice alarmed Mordred. Her rival seemed... disappointed, for some reason she didn't really understand.

"What are you talking about?!"

"Keeping us busy while your allies stole the Grail…"

"They did what?!" Mordred didn't let him finish. She lowered her sword a bit, not believing her own ears. Her Master reacted in a similar way, and his confusion didn't help Saber to focus on the fight… which suddenly felt pointless, by the way. "Damn traitors!"

"What are you two doing?!" Jeanne was running so fast through the battlefield, she almost bumped into fighting Sabers. "The Grail will be lost, if we don't hurry!"

Her sudden intrusion lowered the tension between both warriors. They nodded to each other and simultaneously put down their weapons. Ruler gave them a long, suspicious glance, feeling that she'd just interrupted something important.

"We should split up," Mordred suggested, gesturing towards the fortress of the Red Faction. "I don't want to stuck in that flying can, so it's better to secure as many evacuation routes as possible."

Siegfried agreed almost immediately. The respect he felt for this woman deepened significantly. She might be young and hotheaded, but she already proved to be an experienced and talented warrior.

"Fine. I'll trust you," he said, mostly to apologize for unfair accusations from before.

"Are you an idiot?" Mordred raised an eyebrow, pretending to not care. "Hurry up or it will fly away for good."

"Yes, we must go!" Jeanne nodded to Saber of Red and rushed after their target.

Siegfried waited a moment longer, observing the other swordsman, so deep in thoughts that even Gordes couldn't tell what was on his Servant's mind. But he didn't dare to ask, not now or later, when Saber finally caught up to Jeanne.

"Please remember that I must remain neutral, even if we arrive together," Ruler explained after a moment of silence, feeling that some things between them couldn't be left unspoken. "I just want to meet the Masters of Red."

Siegfried nodded, but also narrowed his eyes, thinking intensively.

"But they consider you an en enemy for some reason," he noticed, and Jeanne winced, unable to oppose. "They persistently keep attacking you at every occasion. Please be careful, Ruler."

"A-all right." She swallowed, happy that he couldn't see her blushing. "You too be careful."

"Good job, Saber." Finally Gordes had something he could brag about - they managed to finish their first mission and make Ruler their ally!

Siegfried only smiled gently, having no time or intention to argue. It didn't matter anymore.

He looked at their enemy's stronghold with a strange feeling, that the battle inside will be the most important one in the entire war.

* * *

Somewhere in a half-destroyed corridor of the Castle of Millennia Astolfo was literally hanging on Caules, begging him for help.

"Please, please, pleeeeease!" He stopped pulling the mage's arm only because Frankenstein growled at him like a guard dog. "Hurry up or Assassin will tear him to pieces!"

"I can't, I was told to guard the fortress…"

"I'm staying here, so don't worry about it. And we have Spartacus on standby."

"But what if they'll need help? We can't rely on Spartacus in this case."

"Your Servant is also a Berserker, you know?" Rider did not intend to give up so easily.

Indeed, sending a Berserker so far from the castle was not very wise, even considering her ability to absorb the energy from her surroundings. The fortress was flying, after all, so Frankenstein will be forced to use her own resources, sooner or later. Other Servants, especially Archer, were better suited for such task.

But the young Master still had some doubts. He looked questioningly at his Servant, trying to read her intentions.

"You're not tired?"

Frankenstein vigorously shook her head. It seemed that she, too, wanted to help.

"See? She knows how a hero should behave! Sigurd is our precious comrade, a part of our team! We can't leave him like this. If you or Fran were in danger, he would surely come to your rescue!"

Something in his voice and intense gaze truly moved Caules. He would never suspect this particular Servant to be so charismatic and stubborn. Now Rider even respected their personal space – another sign that the matter was very important for him.

"I'm still not sure it's a good i…" Caules stopped, suddenly feeling guilty under the accusing gaze of Astolfo. The small paladin was looking at him like a disappointed puppy. A cute cocker spaniel, to be precise. "Fine," the mage agreed eventually, sighing hopelessly. "But you will owe me."

"Of course I will! Saber too, I guess." Astolfo was about to hug Caules, but a low growl coming from Fran's throat made him reconsider this idea. "You are a wonderful person, Master of Berserker!"

"I…" the mage blushed suddenly and nervously adjusted his glasses. "Whatever, just go!" He quickly regained his composure and tried to behave like a serious, professional Master. "Berserker, bring Sigurd back."

"Uuu!"

* * *

Ok, now I truly messed up with the original plot. Hope You still find it interesting.

So many of You commented on winking Siegfried, that I wanted to explain something… but changed my mind eventually. I hope the reason behind it will be clear in future chapters.

As always, thank You for messages and other kinds of support – they really help me going! Don't hesitate to PM me or leave a comment!


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